Happy Here & Now │Gemma Summers │Clustering

Hello, Gemma here with my layout based on our theme for this month, which is Clustering.

I love clustering because I like to use a lot of embellishments on a page as you will see from my layout this month! Having clusters of embellishments helps your eye travel round the page, and I have used them to surround my photo, with one cluster on each side. I chose to base my layout on a selfie of me at my craft desk, which I printed in black and white so I could chose any colour palette for my layout.

I started with a lined paper (I used a lot of the Pebbles 'girl squad' collection for this layout). I went with my photo central and decided to ground the clusters with some mixed media first.

I went with pinks, peaches and coral made using some distress inks and the packaging technique. I then added some splatters and crayon marks. I knew most of this would be covered up but some would still peak through for colour.

Next I could focus on my clusters.

I started by fussy cutting the speech bubbles, trees and raindrops. These elements were all from pattern paper, individually cut and arranged. I backed the speech bubbles onto craft foam to raise them and give the cluster different dimensions. I always start with the bigger elements, then move onto details like the puffy stickers, buttons and roller stamping.

I worked on both clusters at the same time, so they looked balanced and both had all the same elements in them. I stuck to coral, turquoise, black and white.

As the layout is about me, I chose stickers that match me like the backpack, headphones

and the girl puffy sticker even has my hair cut :)

The title was made from turquoise glitter words from Paige Evans, as I like the script font and the colour fits perfectly. It's a recent photo of me so really is 'here and now'. I used stamping in diagonal corners and added a doodle border round the entire page, with black pen.

Don't forget we would love to see your layouts using clustering this month
on our Facebook page and Instagram using #ukscrapaddicts

I hope you enjoyed this layout.

Is your craft desk your happy place too?

See you next month!

There is Sunshine in my Heart | Niki Rowland | Large Photo

Hi everyone, Niki here with you today with my take on the large photo theme this month. This pushes me way out of my comfort zone as I love to use little photos. But I have embraced the theme and gone for a 6x8" photo and have coupled it with a large title too.

I've used Papers and stickers by Echo Park called Summer Dreams. The title is from the Silhouette Design Store. I applied some ink in the area that the title would sit on so that my white title showed up. I did this using the packaging technique. I also added flicks in the same colour by mixing my ink with some water and flicking it on using a paintbrush.

I've put together a process video for you to watch. The layout came together really quickly - mainly becuase the photo and the title were both so big that there wasn't much room for anything else!

I hope you enjoyed the video and also are inspired to use large photos - the design team have certainly made some beautiful layouts with big photos.

Thank you so much for stopping by, I'll be back next month

Happy scrapping xx 

Find me designing for Freckled Fawn, Just Nick, Hey Little Magpie, GoGo Getaway, Silhouette UK, Stick it Down, and UK Scrap Addicts. Also on my own blog: Being Scrappy and on Instagram as @nikiclaire