Chantalle McDaniel's Blog Posts

05.02.17
Do you ever just find yourself looking at a page or project you have created and wonder ‘Where did that come from?!’   More often than not, something totally awesome will come of something that’s driving you nuts! I had ideas about how the two pages I am going to share with you today were going to turn out, and let me tell you, they were nothing like this! Not that I’m complaining, lol. I love them both now, but they didn’t start out that way ;)
 
 
Nope #whatever! is a fun page about my sometimes crazy kids, who are getting to an age where they just won’t ‘smile nicely’ for the camera anymore! I pleaded with them to stand at the edge of beautiful Lake Somerset, but they just mucked around. The photos that came of it were so funny though and the #Whatever simple set was the perfect match for them.
 
 
Now this next part might sound a bit nuts, but ever since I first saw the front ‘info’ page of the Reset Girl Simple Basics Kit, I just wanted to use it on a project. I LOVE how all the papers displayed next to each other… it’s such an awesome mix of prints and colours! I trimmed the individual prints down in to strips and attached them to my Instax photos - a perfect fit!
 
 
I put the photos aside and started combining papers and embellishments to create my page. I put everything together and…. hated the outcome. #ohdear! So I pulled it apart, keeping the major elements to re-use and chose a new sheet of paper - yummy Mint Hashgrid by the Reset Girl. I added elements on top and still thought it was all a bit too busy, so I decided to give it all a good wash with some white acrylic paint. Instantly, it looked way better! I continued to place the rest of the elements on the page and I was so happy with the outcome.
 
 
For my title, I have combined a hand-cut word ’NOPE' from the 4x6 #Whatever elements and some stickers from the Cardstock sticker sheet.
 
 
Those little snippets of paper from the info page peek out on either side of my central band. As you can see in the image above, I cut them in half (or thereabouts) so they would ‘stretch’ further. This is a great technique if you want to make stickers go further too
 
 
It was all quite spontaneous once I got fully going, so I wasn’t too fussed if things weren’t perfect. There are no rules in this glorious creative pastime of ours, so go with what makes your heart happy!
 
 
A bit of journalling and (all-time faves) enamel dots, finish off the page.
 
 
Don’t be afraid to make a change if something isn’t working for you or if you just feel like having a go. It can be so rewarding!
 
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L❤︎VE
 
In stark contrast, this next page is super ‘clean’. I do feel myself wondering on a small level if it maybe needs a few more ‘things’, but you know what? It’s OK if it’s not the ‘normal’!
 
 
I had plans for a big photo and it just didn’t do it for me, so I went about trimming my photo down and cutting out some areas of a sheet of Love & Adore ‘With all my Heart’. I removed a teensy bit extra from the grid, so our faces could show through a bit better. It’s one of only a handful of really lovely photos of my DH and I, and I like the way it sits up in that left hand corner, sending the flow of the page down diagonally.
 
 
What followed was a hearty explosion! I’ve grabbed all the hearts I could find, in the stickers and ephemera in this collection and placed them in the matching area on the paper. I use this technique often and have kept the same colours together because I think this is a great way to add interest while keeping it less ‘busy’.
 
 
Here you can see how the heart cardstock stickers look different to the more matte finish of the heart stickers from the 4x6 Sticker Sheets and how both of those look different again to the heart chipboard and die cut shapes.
 
 
Another little detail on this page is the semi-circular shapes I have added at various intervals along the black grid line. I simply snipped the coloured part off from the little circle stickers in the 4x6 Sticker Sheets and used them in the co-ordinating coloured areas.
 
 
The last little touch was this ‘xoxo’ ticket shape from the Bits & Pieces pack. I’ve adhered it to the page with a wave-like shape, so it looks like a little fabric tag. I think it adds a bit of a 'stitched' feel to it. As if it could be something you would pick up at a market or something. Am I sounding crazy? Lol, maybe.
 
 
The point to both of these pages is just go where the moment is taking you. Have fun, enjoy the process and get those fingers busy!
 
Til next time!

 

Supplies
03.24.17
Hello Simple Stories friends and welcome back to the blog today. Chantalle with you and I am excited to share two pages where I have made stickers a main focus for my background. The 4x6 sticker packs are definitely a favourite of mine, as each comes with a wonderful variety of alphabets, phrases, shapes and more! Indulge and use up a whole sheet on your next project, I dare you!
 
More Precious Than Jewels
 
This page, featuring my beautiful niece, was inspired by the cross pattern on a sheet of Faith ‘Believe’. I absolutely love all the prints in this line but I felt this one had a positive (excuse the pun!) and youthful feel. 
 
 
You’ll notice I have used a lot of tone on tone here. I like to do this when I want to add depth but keep focus. I started with a hint of floral foil and then layered a sheet of alphabet stickers over the top. This formed my base, over which I could add my elements.
 
 
In order to keep your sticker sheet intact, peel the backing paper off very slowly. Note: You may need to use one hand to steady the upward pull as you peel the paper back. Then, lay the stickers down on your project and again, carefully peel the rest of the paper surrounding the letters, off.
 
 
I’ve chosen to work in a sort of T-shape and being black and white, I think the photo stands out quite well against the more subtle colours. As I mentioned above, I’ve used lots of elements in a similar tone to bring the page to life. Lots of stickers - both cardstock and chipboard. The die cut shape provides the title and the stickers bring up the rear with little positive notes! 
 
 
I’ve die cut a few floral shapes using the awesome ‘believe’ paper again and brought out some of the pink tones with a hint of ‘Charity'. (The delicate florals of this paper also help to tie in the floral theme together.)
 
 
As always, I like to make use of little details to finish my projects off. Enamel dots are also a go-to for me. How adorable do these Reset Girl heart enamel shapes look! 
 
 
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My next page, There’s an Emoji for That,  also uses a whole bunch of stickers to build up the background.  
 
 
I can’t help but be drawn to the sweet circular faces in this Emoji Love collection. The circular shape calls me! haha. 
 
I first thought to use a square photo but it just didn’t look right. I trimmed the photo into a circle instead and it instantly looked better!  I loved the bold black and white script of ‘Be a Unicorn’ but it would’ve overpowered the page, so I’ve cut a large circle as a base shape and placed it on some white cardstock and then, laid my stickers over the top. You’ll notice the design of this page is similar to the one above, but this time it draws the eye predominantly down the page, instead of across. 
 
 
These rectangular sticker shapes from a pack of Emoji Love 4x6 Stickers are fabulous for use in Carpe Diem planners as well as any other paper projects! I love folding them over the top of pages or using them in a title. Here, I have used two sheets of these stickers (removing one or two that I didn’t think added anything to the page) which left behind a few gaps, but I quite like the effect!
 
 
To give them a bit of a less ‘structured’ feeling, I have also used the excess bit of the sticker paper and used it as an overlay.
 
 
The title phrase was snipped from a sheet of Emoji Love 4x4 Elements.  Journalling cards are such a great resource - they can give you extra wording, phrases and shapes to hand cut. Plus, you get a few on a single sheet of paper - great value!  Other elements on this page include die cuts from the Bits & Pieces pack, decorative brads, some roller stamping and a few little hand-drawn elements using some coloured pens.
 
 
OMG - such fun! ;)
 
 
 
Thank you so much for stopping by today!  'Til next time!
 

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Supplies
02.27.17
Hello everyone! Chantalle with you today to share some pages which both capture lots of action!   I’m absolutely smitten with the new releases - Domestic Bliss and Say Cheese III. They are both so full of fun. Even though we live far away from anything Disney, Say Cheese III was perfect for documenting a wonderful day out!
 
Kiss the Cook
 
I just love looking back on old photos. My DD and I were revisiting her kindergarten folder the other day - how adorable does she look in her special chef outfit?! The school had a special cookery programme where they would cook with one of the mums or a teacher. I once had the privilege of creating pizza lollipops with her little friends which was so special! Of course, as soon as I saw these photos I knew they would be a perfect match with Domestic Bliss!
 
 
I knew I wanted to use a lot of photos on this layout. Those busy little hands cooked up a storm over the year! I liked the idea of running the photos in two lines with the title in the middle. I worked up a kind of sketch in Silhouette Studio which gave me an idea of not only how big I could print the photos but also how big I could make the title in the centre. I’ve backed the cut area with some lovely yellow ‘Domestic Diva’ and ever-so-pretty floral touches of ‘Work it Girl’. Adding a teensy Chipboard Sticker as the dot in the ‘i’ adds a cute bit of consistency.
 
 
Here you can see how I have added a bit of dimension to a die cut shape from the Bits & Pieces pack by mirroring the pink heart shape. The smaller heart-shaped die cut has been raised on foam tape so it lifts the title and also ties in with the height from the oven glove die cut, on the opposite side of the word ‘cook’.
 
 
I just LOVE how well this little phrase sticker from the Domestic Bliss 4x6 sticker sheet works with this image! (Does anyone else have that song in their head now?? haha)
 
 
There is a lot going on in the embellishment department on this project too! I’ve added some stickers, some Roller Stamping and a few little splatters (batter can escape the bowl, right?) I really also love the new Brad sheets. Incorporating cardstock shapes, phrases and brads in one product, makes for lots of versatility!
 
 
Another way to add a bit more info to a page is with a Clear Sticker. I find them useful for adding a little extra chit chat, which doesn’t impact on the rest of the elements as they’re within the shape of the photo, plus they can be a great way of masking areas with less information in a photograph.
 
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Magical Day Out
 
I remember how amazed I was, to learn of a castle, right here on our doorstep! Who would’ve thought that in the middle of the tropics was a medieval magical land just waiting to be explored! The Sunshine Castle proved to be brilliant day out. We all loved it so much, we would love to visit again.
 
 
I had lots of photos that I wanted to include in this page - there was so much to see and do! I’ve framed a few of the highlights using die cuts shapes from the Say Cheese III Bits & Pieces pack.
 
 
I’ve paired the large ‘magical’ chipboard sticker with a script font which I have cut using my Silhouette.
 
 
The chipboard castle sticker had a little flag on the top, making it iconic. I have snipped that flag off which makes the castle a bit more generic and suits my subject matter perfectly. I love the outlined stars and was excited to see them appear in Say Cheese III. I’ve repeated the shape in the form of Washi Tape, the Roller Stamp, clear stickers and ephemera. Something you will almost always see on one of my pages is a little bit of ‘chit chat’ as I like to call it. Phrase stickers are so handy and add just a little bit of extra personality to my projects.
 
 
Beneath this throne, you will find...
 
 
...Some more photos and journalling!
 
A great way to add more memories without overcrowding your design is to hide them. In this case, I have used a punch board to create a mini file folder which opens to reveal our thoughts on our adventurous day out and a few more images.
 
 
I’ve used a typewriter to journal onto some coloured vellum, which I have machine stitched inside the folder. Using a word processing programme or a photography app is a great way to squeeze multiple photos inside one shape.
 
 
Thanks so much for joining me today, wishing you lots of happy crafting!

 

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