Fill Your Shaker Shape with Flowers!

Hi everyone!

Kim Watson here today with a card created using the uber cute Foam Flower Shaker kit. I did something a little different with this set...instead of the traditional topper filled shaker...I filled it with flowers & diamonds. Hello, tell me that isn't the best combination for a special friend in your life??

Hello by Kim Watson

For this card, I created loose shaker box with clear windows both sides. Before closing the underside I filled the shaker with sparkly diamond toppers giving the card gorgeous sparkle & shine. A variety of mixed media techniques on the base card using texture paste, gesso, ink, gold paint & stencils creates the perfect canvas for my trendy flower shaker. 

I took a mixture of NEW Pom flowers, separated the layers and clustered them flat underneath the shaker. The cluster creates a little multi-colored mat and a GORGEOUS focal point. Gold yellow, Petite Posies scattered around, add subtle bling & texture. 

Products used: Foam Flower Shaker kit, Diamond Toppers, Pom-pom flowers, Petite Posies

I'm glad you stopped by & I hope you found this inspiring!

Have a happy crafty day friend!

~Kim

Scrapbooking idea: Honour your ❤ Mother ❤

It was my lovely Mum's birthday this weekend. She is generous, kind hearted & we appreciate her so much.

It sparked a simple scrapbook page, where I mentioned all of her qualities in a creative way. One centrally placed photograph, lots of white space, some hand doodled flowers & understated texture. I love how this page turned out.

Mother by Kim Watson

Supplies: Cardstock: +Bazzill Basics Paper  ; Patterned paper: +studiocalico , My Mind's Eye ; Corrugated Cardstock, Gold Foil Paper, Resin Flower: +Fancy Pants Designs ; Wood Veneer, Enamel dots, Washi tape: +Freckled Fawn ; Chipboard, Labels: My Minds Eye; Brads: +Simple Stories  ; Flowers: +Bazzill Basics Paper ; Flair & Glitter tape: +AmericanCrafts; Ink: +Ranger Ink ; Adhesives: +TombowUSA , +Thermoweb , +Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L ; Metal Dies: +Spellbinders Paper Arts , +Little B , +Technique Tuesday ; Manual Die-cutting machine: +Spellbinders Paper Art; Other: Sewing machine

Arranging doodled flowers & vines around the photo, frames it beautifully. Corrugated cardstock adds visual interest to the white color scheme.

The corrugated background perfectly showcases the floating jewels. These act as anchors for the character trait journal strips as well as being symbolic of Mothers everywhere being treasures.

A few gold splatters, finish it off nicely!  I appreciate you stopping by!

Have a wonderful day friends...now go HUG your Mum!! ツ

Scrapbooking your other passions?

As you know, February means Valentine’s Day. This page focuses on one of my greatest loves,

but not necessarily romance. Instead of focusing on a sweetheart, it focuses on where we live; one of the most beautiful places on earth. 

When tackling this article assignment for Papercrafts & Scrapbooking magazine, I found choosing only a few photos from the 100's I have on file, a difficult task. 

The thing that jumped out at me was the amount of breath-taking sunset images I had captured since living here in Kommetjie, so finally settled on 3 of my most recent to use on this scrapbook page. It went without saying that I would have to enlarge one of them to maximise its 'wow-factor'. The shot in question was taken using my iPhone, seriously...no lenses or effects. It looks like that IRL :)

I feel so spoilt at the sheer amount of beauty that surrounds us merely a 5 minutes drive from our house. 

Our neighborhood has an enormous feeling of space & freedom, having the mountains behind & in front of us, with the Atlantic in between . It makes me happy to wake up every morning, knowing that a moments walk or drive in any direction, and & I can be surrounded by world-class beauty.

Love This by Kim Watson: Supplies: Cardstock: AmericanCrafts; Patterned paper: Elle's Studio, +Fancy Pants Designs; Chipboard, Tags, Buttons, Envelope, Stickers, Blackboard label: +Fancy Pants Designs ; Decorative Tape: +Freckled Fawn; Hemp: +Close To My Heart ; Stamps: +Technique Tuesday , Elle's Studio, Cocoa Daisy; Ink: +Ranger Ink ; Pen: +Kuretake ZIG ; Adhesive: +TombowUSA, +Thermoweb, +Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L ; Tools: Mini Attacher by +Ranger Ink; Cutting mat, Scissors, Trimmer by +Fiskars

Making the most of a preprinted tag from  Elle's Studio with the addition of a big button, chipboard from Fancy Pants Designs & stamps, creating the cutest accent cluster for the corner of the big photo. 

Adding another accent cluster to the bottom right corner of the large photo, creates movement across the page as well as balance. Don't you LOVE that cute stamp from Technique Tuesday?!

More layering of accents from the Memories Captured collection from Fancy Pants Designs & stamped images from Technique Tuesday.

So I challenge you to try scrapbooking another passion or great love in your life, other than the 2 legged variety :D

Glad you stopped by!

Christmas layout + a FREE cut-file!

Sometimes Christmas scrapping needs to be about the real reason we even celebrate Christmas....Jesus & his selfless gift on eternal life, instead of only the chubby guy in the red suit & the sparkly tree that dominated most of our living rooms around this time of year. 

I designed my page to look like a gift to support my title & journaling theme using three random photos from the week before Christmas. Nothing posed, or ostentatious, no fancy filters or unreal settings. The first one is a 'just woken up on Christmas Day & we're still in our PJ's' kinda pic. The next one is Max with his school class giving out some love & carols at a local old age home . And the next one is a pic of our humble tree & few gifts. Santa wasn't too much of a hero last year, Mom & Dad were- hahaha. 

Products from +Fancy Pants Designs: Merry Little Christmas

The Real Gift by Kim Watson

Supplies: Papers & embellishments: +Fancy Pants Designs ; Christmas themed stamps & circle Dies: +Technique Tuesday; Snowflake dies: +echoparkpaper; Bow tie cut file: My own, Electronic die-cut machine: +Silhouette America; Adhesives: +TombowUSA 

 .FREE CUT FILE.

Download the free cut files: HERE 

(Feel free to use the cut-file for your personal use only!)

Thanks for stopping by!

It's the last day!

Tick...tock...

NOTE: It's that time again! Do you want a chance to win a super #prize & a chance to be the #featureddesigner in November's #newsletter? Then you have until midnight, tonight. Monday 10th November, to get your #sketch entries in. 

Here is a reminder of the #sketch you must use together with some of the newer #fancypantsdesigns products! If you take a look in the October Newsletter, you'll find some amazing sketch support from some our#designers to inspire you.

This is my take on the sketch....I am excited to see what you create!

Be Happy by +Kim Watson 

Supplies: All products from +Fancy Pants Designs (True Friend collection), Mist: +Studio Calico ; Metal Dies: +TechniqueTuesday; Die-cutting machine: +Fiskars FUSE; Electronic machine: +Silhouette America ; Adhesives: +Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L ; +TombowUSA

Tell me the word 'HAPPY' isn't just adorable in gold foil??? Many thanks to +Technique Tuesday for the die :)

So I encourage you to get your entries in to Fancy pants ASAP. Either post to their Facebook wall or Instagram using the hashtag #fancypantsdesigns. 

Have a super crafty day friends!

#fancypantsdesigns july sketch + 5th aug deadline

Crafty friends, do you know what day it is tomorrow??
It is the deadline for the July sketch #contest for +Fancy Pants Designs? Have you gotten your entry in yet??

There is a COOL PRIZE up for grabs... hehe! I know what it is...and you are guaranteed to LOVE it! But that is not all, you also stand a chance at being our featured designer in next month’s newsletter!

NB: In order for +Fancy Pants Designs  to view your layouts, post them on their Facebook page, or tag them on Instagram (#fancypantsdesigns) by August 5th (tomorrow), making sure to use this month’s sketch, along with Fancy Pants Designs products.

Here is the #fancypantsdesigns July sketch!

This is my take on the sketch, hopefully it will inspire you to get your crafty groove on...:)

Backyard Stroll by Kim Watson

Collection used: Me-ology by Fancy Pants Designs, Vellum Paper by Fancy Pants Designs, +Thermoweb , +Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, +CloseToMyHeart twine, 'happy' metal-die by +TechniqueTuesday, 'Memories' metal-die by +MFTStamps & Dies,  

Come on...hurry...I can't wait to see all your entries.

The beauty of the hand Inked font.

I designed this page for the class Process Play for Masterful Scrapbooking.

When planning this page, I thought I’d tackle it from a different angle. I knew I wanted to use a large, show-stopping hand painted title I’d seen on Pinterest by Kal Barteski. Her distinctive hand painted quotes have been trending in the art world for some time now. 

Being dominant and larger than my usual title sizes, it determined and influenced the division of the page and how I incorporated the other page elements, as well as the overall composition.

There is something to organic and authentic about the hand font in black like this to create a focal point. 

Do Incredible Things by Kim Watson

Do Incredible Things by Kim Watson | Supplies: Cardstock by +Stampin' Up!; Patterned paper, Flair by American Crafts, Decorative Envelope, Vellum paper by Fancy Pants Designs; Cork Accents, Vellum Die Cuts, Wood veneer by +Studio Calico, Enamel dots by Close to my Heart; Wire house by Maya Road; Cork paper by +DCWV Inc.; Stamps, Journal card by +Technique Tuesday; Ink by Close to My Heart; Spray Ink by Tattered Angels; Pen & Adhesive: +TombowUSA; Adhesive by +Thermoweb & 3L, Sewing machine, Die cutting machine by +Silhouette America; Digital brush by Ali Edwards; Other: Neon Construction paper.

For a more in depth look at my creative process behind the page, check out the Masterful Scrapbooking class. 

Scrapbooking with faux chalkboard techniques

During a recent interview with +Debbie Hodge  over at #MasterfulScrapbooking, we were discussing a faux chalkboard technique on my page Wild Child created for the Process Play article, where I used a white gel to transform plain black alphas.

As promised this is the other page I mentioned featuring a few #fauxchalkboard techniques I used for an assignment for the +Papercrafts&Scrapbooking May 2014 issue seen on page 44.

Live Life by Kim Watson

Supplies: Cardstock: +Bazzill Basics Paper ; Patterned paper, Decorative Bag, Buttons, Stickers, Die Cuts: (Memories Captured) +Fancy Pants Designs; Metal Flair: Evalicious; Clear stamps: Autumn Leaves (live Life- old), My Minds Eye (and), +MFT Stamps (enjoy the awesome journey, stars, triangle border), +Hero Art Stamps (speech bubbles), +Technique Tuesday (arrows), Cocoa Daisy Designs (arrows, chevron); Date stamp: American Crafts; Ink: Close to my Heart, +Close To My Heart; Stampin’Up; Embossing Powder: Stampin’Up; Color media: (pencils) Tombow, (white gel pen) Sakura; Adhesive: Tombow, Thermo web; Twine: +Close To My Heart; Tools: (mat, trimmer, scissors, punch) Fiskars American, (acrylic blocks, paper piercer, sewing kit) Close to My Heart, (heat gun) American Crafts, Sewing Machine

Idea #1:

Draw a double line border around your page & hand-write your journalinhg using a white gel pen. For an authentic chlakboard feel, shave actual chalk dust onto the page & gently rub it in in areas around the page, giving a chalky smudged effect. 

Idea #2:

Stamp speech bubble images onto black cardstock then emboss with white embossing powder for crisp white images. 

Idea #3: 

Create a chalkboard style conversational title using a mixture of fonts & sentiment stamps. Emboss with white embossing powder for crisper images. Using soft colored pencil crayons like the ones I used from +TombowUSA, work into your design using a crosshatching & rubbing technique for an authentic chalkboard vibe. 

I hope you feel inspired to try some techniques of your own....it is a fun creative technique to try!

Happy crafty Tuesday friends!

FREE cut file + published layout.

Being Thursday, means the house is tidied after last nights Wednesday night Believers get-together...I can finally get down to some much needed crafty-catch up & writing. 

I am so grateful to have had a bunch pages published this year in Paper crafts & Scrapbooking magazine. I thought it might be fun to post a couple of them here too. This one, a double page from the January 2014 issue of Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking (page 100), using supplies from  Fancy Pants Designs,  Elle's Studio & journal card by Technique Tuesday.  

Sweet Surprise by Kim Watson

TIP: I didn't have the perfect color cardstock for my title, so cut it in white cardstock & spritzed it with October Afternoon sprinkers to perfectly match the green in the striped patterned paper.

For those of you with electronic die-cutting machines, I have made this cut file available for download in a couple of file types. See below for links.

Sweet Surprise cutfile set by Kim Watson 

Download link>>

These cute printables also available online at January 2014 issue of Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking.

Download link>>

Download link>>

Download link>>

Going Native + a Tutorial

Do you know Technique Tuesday has the most awesome metal dies & stamp sets?? I created this card using some of them. Inspired by a talented Aussie scrapper, Lizzie...I thought I'd try my hand at going Native. 

You are so Totally Awesome card by Kim Watson

Finished size: 6x4"

Supplies: (Cardstock card blank: DCWV, Plain cardstock: Stamping Up, Spray Mist: Ranger, Wooden button: Bella Boulevard, Sentiment Stamp: (You are Awesome) Technique Tuesday, Chalk Ink: Prima Marketing, Pen: Tombow USA, Metal 'awesome' die: Technique Tuesday, Manual die-cutting machine: Spellbinders)

If you are wondering how I created the snazzy, native-vibe, triangle border.... see below. It was as easy as a hand cut triangle from cardstock, used as a stencil & some fun inks from Prima.

How to create the colored feather: 

•  Cut a feather shape from cardstock, it doesn't have to be a work of art. Wonky makes it authentic.
• Mist onto your craft sheet, I used magenta, turquoise & yellow.
• Turn your feather over & press the right side into the mist...smooshing it a bit.
• Carefully pick it up & allow to dry.
• Now get all primal & decorate the feather with ethnic style patterns.
• Attach to front on your card with a big wooden button & twine. 
• Finish up with your stamped & die cut sentiment and you are all done!

These are the die & stamp set designed by Ali Edwards I used if you want to grab some for yourself.

Glad you stopped by! 

Camera shaped mini book + FREE cut file.

Yep...it's FREEBIE time again!

I have a FREE cut file for you to use for (your personal use only). This was the original Camera mini book I created for Creating Keepsakes Magazine (as seen in the Creating Keepsakes Minibooks 2013 special issue). 


My FREEBIE cut file this cute little pink camera mini book and is a version of the original "Click & Zoom" mini book (as seen in the Creating Keepsakes Minibooks 2013 special issue). When you look at the cut files, you'll notice the SVG version is slightly different to the .Studio version because I was too lazy to redo my SVG file for this pink mini book- cough! If you are confident in the Silhouette software, I suggest you adapt & cut which ever pieces you'll need for whichever version you decide to make. 

SNAP pink camera mini book by Kim Watson

Oh Baby! Camera mini book by Kim Watson: Supplies: Cardstock: American Crafts; Patterned paper: Echo Park; Stickers: Lilybee, Heidi Swapp, Alpha Stickers & Buttons: Bella Boulevard; Ribbon & plastic embellishment: Pebbles Inc; Stamp on back: Technique Tuesday; Ink: Close to my Heart; Adhesive: Tombow, 3L, Eleene's; Tools: Cutting mat, trimmer & scissors: Fiskars, Die cutting machine: Silhouette Cameo; Other: Jump Pings, Safty pin, Bone Folder.

Inside I included 3x4 cardstock cards with rounded corners to hold my photos. The jump ring makes it easy to flip through the piccies.

A quick note about the 'lens'. All I did was concertina 2"x12"strip into 2"squares and then keeping one folded side intact, scissor cut a 2" circle shape. Using foam squares I lifted each layer, giving the lens height & that zig-zag effect.

 The stamp on the back is to capture the time, date & info pertaining to the photos. 

Have fun making yourself one of these... they make the BEST baby shower gifts. NB: If you use the cut files (your personal use only) please remember to acknowledge Creating Keepsakes magazine or myself when posting online. 

Thank you for stopping by crafty friends, I look forward to seeing your lovely creations! 

Christmas came early Fancy Pants Designs.

Christmas has come early this year in my craft room with the NEW Fancy Pants 'Merry Little Christmas collection'. Unpacking my box of stash was so cool. The great papers & funky embellishments were so easy to craft with, I have x2 more pages almost finished, which I hopefully will post during the course of the weekend.

Once laid out on my background page,  the elements immediately sparked the idea to try a grid design. This is how my page turned out.

Best Day Ever by Kim Watson

I created little clusters within the over-all 'grid type' design. Sequins add flashes of twinkle as well as a grounding visual triangle within the layout.

Pops of black are a great way to create visual anchor points.  I used some awesome new steel dies from Technique Tuesday! 

Don't you just LOVE the new veneer die cut titles? Fancy Pants Designs has a bunch of great versatile veneer designs to choose from. 

I have a little some special for YOU today, I put this FREE 12x12 page sketch together based on my page. I  hope you find it fun to try out! If you use it, remember to link me up to your post so I can check out your creative work.

Remember it is sometimes the smallest things that bring joy.