Author: Claire Grantham

Hello there!

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend. I am mainly hanging with Hubby this weekend, as I was away for 5 days on vacation and then we had a house guest.

I am just getting back into the swing of scrapping and the galleries are inspiring me a lot, so I will be spending some of my day today scrapping.

Angels – You

I just love everything about this. It is very me to go with a busy background and then a big cluster. It’s so impactful and Angels does it so well here!! I love the mix of title work and all the fab word strips. Her shadows are amazing. It’s just wonderful and cheery and happy!

Stefanie – Grey Skies

I love digital pages that feel like physical art journal pages. I love the monochrome palette Stefanie used here with the splashes of yellow to add interest. I love that there are little bit of journaling and text all over the page, so your eye is drawn to all the details. A really great example of how to art journal digitally.

Vrielinkie – Chores & Chores: Laundry

This made me LOL when I saw it! I love the photos.. I love doing laundry and I often wonder if I was fascinated by washing machines as a child! I love the elegance of the layout and the simple colour palette. The bubbles are just such a perfect touch for the subject matter. Again another great example of mixed title work, which I am a big fan of. A perfect fun, elegant layout.

JenEm – Wish

Perfect kit choice for this cute photo. I love the composition here so much detail, but the monochrome palette means that it doesn’t feel busy. I am a big fan of stars, so I really love all the different ones scattered throughout the page. I never really recolour my photos, but this is a great example of how to do it and is making me want to give that a go in my pages.

FiddletteDesigner – Love

I really love it when designers make layouts with their own products, really giving me food for thought when using them myself. If this page were a blank colouring page, I would be thrilled and excited to colour it. I love the composition here with the girl taking centre stage and all the other elements leading to or from her. The shadows are amazing and I really love the mix of coloured and outlined mandalas in the background.

Anja_77 – Cherished Memories

I mean just WOW!! The soft background with the blended text and paints is perfection. The large cluster to the left of the stacked frames is wonderful. An almost monochrome page, with just a couple of pops of colour, so pretty. I love that Anja has added a frame over the girl, creating a focus on the gorgeous photo and it’s an extra piece of detail that works really well. I’m in love with the whole page, the flow, the colours, I just love it.

That’s all from me, I’ll see you in October – likely to be later in the month, due to us moving! I hope you have enjoyed my picks today and will go and show these talented scrappers some love. Keep scrapping and have a wonderful weekend.

Claire

 

 

Hello! Happy Saturday to you.

Hope you are enjoying the start of the Labor Day weekend if you are in the US. I am getting ready to head to NYC on vacation, so I’ll be missing for a week or so.

Caapmun – Apple Pie

How can you look at this page and not want apple pie?! The photos are gorgeous and I love the quote, I agree wholeheartedly. I really like the use of the apple paper consistently throughout the page and I especially love the little piece in the top right corner. Fabulous page, really simply embellished, letting the photos shine.

mywisecrafts – Take a Leap of Faith

I had to include this page by our very own Esther. It is beyond gorgeous. The b&w photo is perfect for the very minimal, but super impactful colour palette of gold, white, and black. The two clusters are so rich and full of details – stars, flowers, foliage, word strips, and ribbon, a total feast for the eyes, and of course, as always, her shadow work is amazing. I love the unexpected use of the torn papers, it adds another layer of interest to this stunning page.

Leahblahblah – Dream It

I have long been a fan of Leah’s work. This is amazing! I love the mix of ‘real’ and drawn elements, it works so well and to me, the clusters feel happy. In fact the whole page just screams happiness, it made me smile a lot. Her shadows are perfection and I like the little butterfly paint behind everything, giving the page a really pretty anchor.

Beszteri – Hope

I was blown away by the brushwork here. I love the ‘steps’ she has created, leading you to the flowers and the simple title. So elegant and the little Hummingbird detail is perfect. The whole thing feels like a cover for a book and I would totally want to read it!

AMarie Charp – Assortis

The large cluster caught my eye. It’s just wonderful, again another great example of mixing ‘real’ and drawn elements. The happy smiling photo, made me smile, loving their almost matching shirts. I love the colour palette, not the usual summer colours, so it stands out. The little chipboard word strips are perfectly placed. A perfect summer page.

*sylvia* – So Much Fun

Another gorgeous layout from Sylvia. It looks like the girl in the photo is having a lot of fun. I love the vertical layout with the mixed stitches as a great detail that anchors the page and at the same time is a great detail. I really like the split title, I am a big fan of splitting up your title.

I hope you have enjoyed my picks today and will go and show these talented scrappers some love. I’m off to watch the F1 qualifiers, enjoy the rest of your weekend and I’ll see you in a few weeks.

Claire x

 

Happy Saturday to you all!

Hope you are having a great weekend so far. I am sewing, watching F1 qualifiers, and having a lovely quiet me focused weekend!

Ferdy – Memories

I loved the bright colours of this layout, even the gorgeous cluster is a riot of colour! I LOL when I read the story in the comments, that Ferdy’s partner leaves his hand up too long when they are taking selfies using the hand motion function. It made for a hilarious photo, where Ferdy is totally obscured by said hand! All the little details make this layout for me, the googly eyes, the laughing emojis, and the word art that perfectly describes what is going on.

Jenn7 – Giving

I loved the journaling here. I believe in giving back too and I have a lot of respect for Jenn teaching her children this sentiment at an early age. The two clusters are stunning. The larger one to the right, is wonderful, so full with perfect shadow work and I love the addition of the doily, giving it an anchor.

Bonnenuit – Lucky Us

Another layout that showcases the journaling. I love how elegant this feels with the limited colour palette (even continued with the text colour) really working to tie everything together. The mix of paint, brushes, and elements is perfectly done. And I love the darker scripty brush that adds a little bit of extra interest.

Marleen – Waiting For

This just blew my mind!! I love the way the paint, papers, elements, and blending have been used here. The newspaper blended to create her skin is just fabulous, really well done and super creative. The painty flower border that makes up the top of her shirt is so clever. A really wonderful art journal piece.

Veer – Proud

Another elegant layout that makes the journaling the focal point. I am a fan of framing your journaling, it really makes it stand out. The cluster is gorgeous, I especially love the way that it sprays out, making it feel larger than it is.

Amien1 – This is the life

I love the epic amount of white space here. Because of all that lovely white space, the happy photo becomes the focal point. The pattern mixing and perfect shadows are making me very happy. I really love the use of the tags at the top of the photo. The stacked background papers, just peeking out, add another piece of interest and help anchor the date tab and panda element perfectly.

That’s all for me this month, I will be back mid-Sept as I am going on vacation. I hope you enjoyed my picks today and will go and show these talented scrappers some love.

Claire x

Hello!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have fun plans for the weekend. Hubby and I are hitting the beach for a little staycation. The galleries are fun right now, with everyone documenting their travels, it’s probably the first time since Covid arrived that we have all moved around so freely!

armygrl – My Space

I know Lisa is one of the GSO crew and I try not to shout us out, BUT sometimes, you just cannot pass up a page! The title work here is AMAZING. I love her shadow work and all the little ellies added to the title. For me, the title panel, feels like a curtain, like it is part of the room that is shown. Just wonderful work as always by Lisa.

Sucali – A Mother’s Love

This is so beautiful. I love how elegant it is. The newsprint paper on top of the wood background is such a nice touch, it should feel busy, but it really doesn’t. I love her shadow work and the limited amount of colour that draws the eye to the stunning photo.

Jak – Just Eat The Cake

As a person that is not allowed the cake 99.9% of the time, I totally loved the message here. The cluster around the photo and under it is wonderful, so full of colour and extra little ellies tucked in. Again, another wonderful example of amazing shadow work. I love how the papers have been blended to give a clean bottom half, so the cluster and the words can shine.

zakirahzakaria – Prayers for my Baby

The wonderful cluster caught my eye and then it all just made my heart melt. What a wonderful keepsake for her. I loved the prayer and the idea of something so very personal being shared. The cluster and stacked layers around the photo are stunning and I really love the brushwork used on the page, to tie it all together. Gorgeous.

Ferdy – Beach

This is just so fun, I love the bright colours and the different elements used. The flow of the page, the happy photo and the colours just convey the joy Ferdy clearly feels about being at the beach (I echo this). Wonderful shadows and I really like the splatter that feels like it is holding all the pieces together.

helenedubois – Family

Another page where I feel like the joy of the moment is radiating out of the photo. Such a pretty page, I really like the little pops of pink and that all the interest is not just in the area around the photo, but spread out over the page. The torn / blended layers are great and this feels like it could be a physical art journal page.

That is all for me today, I hope you enjoyed my picks and will show these talented scrappers some love. See you in a couple of weeks, have a wonderful weekend and keep scrapping.

Cx

 

 

Well hello there!

Little bit later in the day than usual, as I swapped my days 🙂

I have had such a fun and creative month, I really hope you have too. I can’t believe August is nearly upon us. Make sure you enjoy what is left of the summer!

PMjames – Point of View

I loved the different way that the photos are laid out on this page – clustered around a central photo, but not a really large one. I also really love the mix of colour and b&w photography. The minimal and carefully chosen elements just compliment the page perfectly. When I was reading about this page, turns out it is page 20 of a travel album, so I am going to go back and look at all the other pages.

Cinna – Road Trip Fun

Loving the happy smiles in this photo, looks like the road trip was fun. I really like the layers and the clusters under, around and on top of the photo, really drawing your eye into the photo. It all really pops off of the grungy background and I love the subtle stamped ‘car selfies’ I am all about a car selfie!

CarlaW – Wanderlust

The title paired with the photo made me laugh! I wonder where Carla’s cute kitty is planning to go next? Love the soft blues for the background papers, with the wonderfully bright and full cluster just leaping off the page. I am a big fan of weaving string, twine, ribbon, banners through my pages, so I loved the little peeks of the red twine and the cute banner at the bottom.

Dalis – Where is my Super Suit?

I love love love this! The giant title is wonderful. So inspired to use this kit to document Dalis’ joy at her interview. I love the big ray paper and the b&w photo is perfect, with all the colour pops from the elements, giving the page even more energy.

Michele Hillam – More Please!

The colours and the amazing shadow work made this standout for me. When I read the journaling I couldn’t help but smile. Love that one of her first words was ‘more’ LOL. The grid paper background is really nice and helps the photos, journaling and minimal elements pop. So pretty.

Kiana – Free Yourself

Kiana’s layouts are always so fun and bright. I love the unusual page design here, with peeks of the papers at the edges. The flow across the page is perfect and I love the mix of ‘realistic’ and drawn flowers. The colour palette is so nice, I love the strong blues with the soft pinks and peaches. Again another wonderful example of how great a page can look when you weave a piece(s) of ribbon through your clusters.

Well that is all from me today, I hope you go and show these talented scrappers some love. I’ll see you in August! Keep scrapping and have a wonderful evening.

Claire x

 

Happy Saturday everyone!

My first post for July. I am loving the very summery feel of all the galleries right now. Everyone getting out there and enjoying their summers. I am enjoying my first summer in Tampa, being so close to the beach is a dream come true.

Christellevandyk – Fun in the Sun

This caught my eye because of the wonderfully oversized cluster!! I love how packed full of different kinds of foliage it is with fun elements tucked in, like the Toucan and the sun charm. I really like seeing clusters that aren’t just about the flowers. The photos are fun and the flamingo floatie outfit made me smile! Great laying of the background papers and you know I love a pattern mix! Such a really pretty summer layout.

alinalove – The Way You Are

How could you not smile and be happy if you saw this?! I love the way the painty rays mimic the rays in the photo – which is amazing. The messy, painty, element-filled cluster is stunning and anchors the photo beautifully and I am just swooning over all the details in it. I also like the idea of the more delicate cluster top right, it really finishes off this beautiful page.

Meibritt – Good Day Today

The photo of the 3 dogs on the bench, all looking at something different is priceless, so awesome to have captured this moment. I love the unexpected use of pink and the scattered sequins make me especially happy. Great layering here, with the messy threads and foliage adding even more interest. The best bit for me is the background paper, totally genius use of it with the 3’s for the 3 dogs!

dawnfarias – Shark Slides

This made me LOL when I saw it. Great use of this kit too, the Shark photo corner?! Amazing. Dawn’s journaling really made me smile, I too love a novelty shoe, and right now, everyone needs a laugh. I really love the way the papers have been stacked to represent the sea / waves and using 2 kinds of shark papers is wonderful. It’s such a simple page, but so very impactful.

tjscraps – Today

The gorgeous smile in the photo caught my eye. I love all the lovely neutral layers here, wonderfully stacked and the small cluster with the word strip is perfect – messy threads tucked in to clusters are another weakness of mine. The whole page has a wonderful neutral feel with just pops of colour from the oranges and the photo. Stunning work.

Marnel – Bed

WOW!! How gorgeous is this?! The amazing clusters, so rich in colour and fullness. I love the circle stitching, creating a really lovely frame for all the sequin scatters and the clusters. And if that is not enough, there is the wonderful stack of papers and the 2 rows of papers that if you look closely are houses! Let’s not forget the gorgeous b&w selfies. I love every single thing about this page and I can’t stop looking at it.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my picks and will go and show these talented scrappers some love.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I’ll see you soon.

Claire x

Hi everyone!

I have been a bit awol the last week, as my bestie is here from London, so I have been spending time with her and not at my computer. It has been a lot of fun, bar the spider incident earlier today…

Vrielinkie – Wild Thing

Isn’t this gorgeous! I love the patchwork heart, using all those fun patterns in one tone of coral! Creating the title using a lyric and ‘wild’ alphas is a wonderful touch and the shadow work is perfect. I also like the patchwork background, but using more neutral colours and patterns, to let the heart shine!

Carrie1977 – 100 Percent This

I am a big fan of Carrie’s work; this just jumped out at me! I love the painty, background – the colours are so nice and soft, I really like all the little bits and bobs included – hearts, stars, words, etc. Her layers are lovely, with the small cluster at the front and lots of little elements tucked into her layers. I like that her message is made up of a mixture of journal card and wordbits.

Kiana – A March Muse

I am just fan-girling all over the place today! Kiana’s work always inspires me and I also use her shadow pack for my layouts 🙂 I love the colours here, such a wonderful mix of patterns, but again using the same main colour and using all the possible tones, so pretty. I love the use of Hexagons here, I’m a hexie fan. I love the message here of being your own muse and the photos and the words really tie that message together.

iScrap – Love and Coffee

It’s no secret I love coffee, I had to give up caffeine in January, but I have found some tasty decaf, so it’s all good. I love coffee-themed layouts and I really love the rich colours here and all the fun little clusters that have a mixture of flowers, wordart, hearts and coffee-themed elements.The busy background paper, doesn’t actually feel that busy here, it suits the stacked, full nature of the layout. Love it!

Amandajk – Signature June22

I don’t know if this is allowed or not, but I am including it here because WOW!! If this is her signature, how awesome will her layouts be! I love everything about this. Amanda has created a fun little scene for her signature and there is so much to look at. I love the Giraffe poking out of the car, the painty sunburst, the different flowers, so very creative and special. I feel like this would make a great desk plaque!

Sylvia – Sunshine Days

Final piece of fan-girling from me! Sylvia has to be the Queen of Clean Layouts -right? Her work is so inspiring, she often creates simple, clean layouts that pack a huge punch. This one just proves that you can tell your story without photos, I am 100% with her on her happy place, beach, sea, vacay = yes please. I love the little finishing touches of the camera, the flowers and the scatters.

That’s all from me today, I hope you will go and leave these talented scrappers some love. Happy scrapping, I am off to the beach and I will see you in July.

Claire x