Author: Liz Toms

One of the things I love about the digital scrapbooking community is the sheer variety of scrapping styles and the way different artists make use of the same papers and elements and create wonderful, unique art. I often look at the work of others and think “Wow! I never thought to use it like that!” Each of my shout-outs today has an element of that Wow! Let’s take a look…

Fly by Mother Bear is really beautiful with the muted pinks and dashes of teal, green and brown while my eyes are guided throughout the page by the floral clusters. Such sweet images (what I wouldn’t give for those curls!) and the shadowing on the title work is impressive. So, so pretty!

Artist in Paris by Norma is a fine example of a page that, to me, looks like a painting! It’s an interesting piece of work with the detailed blending and mix of colours that totally bring it to life. Amazing!

Quite the contrast is Picnic Day by sucali. Neat layers, decisive placement of embellishments and tons of white space make this piece of art so easy on the eye while the brushwork and scatters add a playful element. A wonderful, classic page!

The design of Are We There Yet? by NLD Designs depicts a tale of what it’s like to travel some distance with young children! The mapped backdrop and all the topical elements are perfect for the subject matter and the green, black and beige colour palette works so well. Beautifully done!

I always tend to think that a black and orange colour palette means one thing… Halloween. Challenging by caapmun proves me wrong! A great horizontal design anchored nicely with a great choice of embellishments. Very striking!

I don’t always find extractions easy to do by blackkathy has done a tremendous job with her page entitled Beachy which also incorporates a refreshing mix of coastal elements that are different to the norm. A gorgeous “school’s out for Summer” kinda page!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the pieces of art that I’ve brought to you today and that they inspire you to document some of your own stories. When you get a spare moment, please click on the links above and leave a comment or two for the artist – comments are always appreciated! Till next time, take care and happy scrapping!plan it

It’s been an unusually warm Winter’s day here in Cape Town and we took a glorious road trip to Cape Point today. I’d forgotten how beautiful is down that way and it’s certainly a great place to soak up nature and the ocean. I’m now on baby duty for Ayla (8 week old granddaughter) for the night and so far she’s been as good as gold… so good that she’s even afforded me the time to check out the galleries so I can bring you some lovely eye candy for the day!

I love all the mixed media that makes up Wisdom by beszteri. The muted tones coordinate perfectly with the black and white image while the placing of the spectacles is perfect and adds so much interest. Terrific!

The central design of C & R 2022 by lmaggs makes for a lovely clean look and I love the comic style photo treatment. Overall, the page is nicely balanced with the pretty clusters to the left and right and the Summer colour palette is fresh. A wonderful, fun page!

Things to Try This Year by Cherylny reminds me of a “note to self” style notice board. I love all the detail, the reminders and the positive affirmations while the element mix and textures make me want to reach out and touch it… love this!

You by Dady is a page of sophistication with its repetitive paper strips of antique colours, blends and brushwork. I especially love the split-detail design while the image makes for an intriguing layout and a stunning “yesteryear” page!

Love, love, love the simplicity and colour palette of Good Vibes by Ga_L … I never underestimate the art of creating a page like this, I know many a scrapper who will confess to starting out with a simple page in mind but not being able to stop adding elements! This is just fabulous!

I’m totally in awe of Sunset by magnolia. The horizontal design and framing is perfect and I love how the image appears to span the entire page. Again, a great choice of complimentary elements are beautifully placed and I love that the couple are popping out of the camera… a gorgeous, enchanting page!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the artwork I’ve showcased and that you’re inspired to document a story or two of your own. When you get a spare moment, please click on the links above and leave a comment or two for the artists – I know they will appreciate it. Till next time, take care and happy scrapping!

So here we are, the last day of the month of May… how is that even possible?! We’re all doing our best to capture the stories, document the memories and record everyday life despite time passing at an alarming rate and here’s some shining examples that I found in the galleries today…

Upside Down by Shannamay is such a fun page! Love the cute images on the perfectly shadowed layers of each cluster and the quote that links the two is perfect! Totally love this!

Sahlin May Challenge by lulyg14 is a travel page with a difference. I love how it’s created in a calendar format and the images provide a great account of the days’ journey. Great use of patterned paper too! Lovely!

I always enjoy an alternative way of pocket scrapping and Week 21 by Scrapping with Liz is a fine example. Love how colourful this is and just how un-uniform (is that even a word?!) it is compared to the usual weekly scrapping layouts. Eye catching, for sure!

I always stop to take a look at monochrome pages and I find Pondering by smith intriguing. Love the artsy-ness and the blends, smudges and scribbles that make this page 100% wall worthy! Amazing!

Diggin’ Up Worms by Ernie88 is a wonderfully designed page. Love how the corner detail keeps my eye on the page and the brush work and colour palette is gorgeous. Split journaling adds great interest and I love the textured title work. A terrific page!

Look by Erin2 is such a cohesive page with its soft tones and mix of elements. I love how bright, breezy and refreshing this is and how the backdrop mimics the cloudy blue sky in the image. Beautiful!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these fine pieces of work and that they inspire you to document some stories of your own. When you get a moment, please click on the links above and leave a comment or two for the artist… it’s always appreciated. Till next time, take care and happy scrapping!

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Friday May 13th… hope it’s not unlucky for any of you! I feel so organised today, we’re off to celebrate our daughter-in-laws’ 40th birthday tonight, hence I’m posting earlier than I would normally and here’s some eye candy that I found in the galleries today!

First up is Adventure Ahead by kaklei. Love the photo treatment and how all the elements form the perfect base for the page design. Wonderful!

My Boy by LilachO is a fine example of a young masculine page with its urban tones and linear design. Love that the photo cluster spans the page while the little red elements add a little pop! Gorgeous!

Layouts with black and white images are always a win and Not Perfect by roxanat is no exception. Love the horizontal design that meets the vertical strip of patterned paper and how the pretty florals add feminine softness. Lovely!

Love the chunky layers of SWL Designer Challenge – unlimited by bellbird… they’re bold and add great depth against the painted and textured backdrop and the quote is perfect. Love this!

Repetition on a page always works well and I love how mosbaskets has used a variety of circle shapes to create a cascading layout entitled Oh Deer. Little buttons add interest while the pegged labels keep the images in check. A fabulous winter page!

Lilac is not a shade that I normally scrap with but I love how it’s paired with black on The Black Sheep by dotcomkari. The split design works well with the candid journaling and all the little detail is eye catching. Awesome page!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my post today and that some of the pages above inspire you to document some of your own stories or memories. Remember to click on the links above and leave a comment or two for the artists when you get a chance. Till next time, take care and happy scrapping!

As I browsed the galleries today, a couple of thoughts crossed my mind… how many of us scrap in chronological order? How many of us just go with whatever our fancy takes us? How many of us are overwhelmed with photo’s and stories that we don’t know where to start? How many of us struggle with not enough photo’s? How many of us feel like we’re “behind” with our scrapping? I can bet my bottom dollar that there are many of us in each of those camps. I for one, am so far behind on my Project Life, both for last year and this year (yes, I still love that project and I have a Photobook credit for last year that expires next Sunday!) and worst of all, I’ve not kept my diary up to date and my photo’s are in what can only be described as a state of chaos. So, I’m on a wing and a prayer with it all but enough of that, let’s take a look at the pages that wowed me today!

I always love a page with a blended image and some layers on the periphery that provide interest and depth. Around Here by anke is a delightful example and those green and neutral tones are simply the best!

Now if this next page doesn’t scream Spring, I don’t know what does! Hello Spring by aziko is super charming in a cute sort of way. Love the assorted framing, the diagonal backdrop and the wonderful Spring colours that make this page so easy on the eye!

When the Sun Comes Out by keepscrappin packs a punch with all its glorious layered florals and I love how the image is nestled in amongst it all. An interesting page with its unusual backdrop and colour combo… love it!

For me, whimsy is one of the hardest page styles for me to create but janik has done a perfect job with her page entitled Family of Friends. The mix of florals and little creatures compliment the sweet deckle-edged photo and the textured, watercolour backdrop provides the most lovely setting. Just gorgeous!

Pretty minimalistic in style, Breathing Dreams by LDArtist has a certain mystery about it. A pretty little cluster anchors the image nicely and the landscape format makes me question my own stubbornness in continually creating square layouts… would a change in format shake up my scrapping style that I’ve been longing to do for a while? Food for thought, for sure but in the meantime, I love the intrigue that this layout provides. Amazing page!

Ah, those who create art journals and art journal pages, I salute you! A terrific mix of elements on Hopeful by tanteva capture my attention, make me linger as I take in all the detail and make me want to turn the page for the next instalment! Fabulous!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the standouts I’ve shared with you today and that you are inspired to document some memories or stories of your own. When you get a chance, please click on the links above and leave a comment or two for the artists, I know they will appreciate it. Till next time, take care and happy scrapping!

I’ve finally managed to set aside time to do some of my own scrapping and it’s been great to join in with everybody in the galleries and while I was there today, here’s a handful that I’d like to give a shout out to…

I love pages like MAR CL – Scraplift by nhudao but for me to create something like this, I’d really have to think way outside of my creative box! This page is beautiful with its soft and gentle tones and the oodles of white space, while pretty little embellishments adorn the photo. So lovely!

Sketchings with a dash of coloured embellishments always make for a super page and Early Morning Walks by AJM is wall worthy! I love the unusual element choice and I really do wish this was on my early morning walk… splendid!

Torn edges are another of my favourites and I love how Jill has nestled in lots of pretty florals to frame the photo and journaling on her page, Fly. Great layers with perfect shadowing add depth and dimension to this wonderfully coordinated page!

I’m intrigued by Week 4 – Art Journal Means to Me by Janisn. I personally have never worked with products like these (and if I’m honest, I wouldn’t know where to start, such is my limited creativity) but I love how cohesive this page is with its unusual elements and striking colour palette. Fun and interesting!

Repetition always works well on a page and Be You by Sylvia is a fine example. The rings overlap beautifully and I love the soft patterned papers and delicate detail that compliment the photo’s. A really neat page!

Be That Girl by marijke is a wonderful, dramatic looking page that stopped me mid scroll with it’s great design, dark backdrop and rich, sultry tones. Absolutely love this!

I hope you’re inspired by my picks for today. when you get a spare moment, please click on the links above and leave a comment or two for the artists. Till next time, take care and happy scrapping!

Hello from a very hot and sunny Cape Town! We’ve spent the last three weeks back here with family to help with a house move and are returning to the UK next week for a quick three week stint before we return to Cape Town for a longer period and to welcome the arrival of our new granddaughter who is due mid-April! Exciting times! Needless to say, I’ve not had the time or the energy to be scrap-creative over the last few weeks but I do pop into the galleries every now and then to see all the amazing pieces of art. Here’s a few I found for you today…

Extractions always fascinate me, especially if there’s a shadow involved too! Sleepover by Amy L is a playful page with the cute series of photo’s, the title work and, of course, that amazing extraction and shadow! Absolutely delightful!

Forever in Our Hearts by mosbaskets is beautiful tribute page. I love the soft tones and the cascading hearts and carefully chosen elements that anchor the dear photo perfectly. A wonderful, peaceful page.

I’ve been saying for so long that I really want to try my hand at mixed media pages despite the fact that they are totally out of my comfort zone. What’s Coming by Roxana reminds me that I still have to give this art form a whirl! Love this!

Black and white images always look great on a page, even more so when they’re adorned by pretty pinks and lilacs. The perfectly shadowed layers of Loved by Blackkathy nestle on a beautifully soft back drop and a single flair provides the title for the page. Excellent!

Krolik by magnolia is another really pretty page with its sepia toned image and touches of whimsy. The colour palette is so easy on the eye and I love the patterned backdrop. Gorgeous!

With St Patrick’s Day looming, I couldn’t resist finishing my post today with Lucky Us by Ferdy. I love the element mix, the stitching and threads, and those little pink sequins that add contrast. Terrific!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the art that I’ve brought you today and that you find inspiration to create your own pages. When you get a chance, please click on the links above and leave a comment or two for the artists, I know they will appreciate it. Till next time, take care and happy scrapping!