Author: Melinda Sweetman

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Memory Planner | May 1 – 9 2021 | Traci Reed Designs OBG: Hearth & Hollow

Hey & hello my scrappy friends!!

Yes, it’s Melinda and I’m writing a blog post on my own blog 😂 Doesn’t happen often but I thought this would be the easiest way to share this project as I don’t have a process video!

I’m playing with the gorgeous Hearth & Hollow collection by Traci Reed Designs for this months Oldies but Goodies post which means that you can get 50% off this collection for a very limited time!

I pulled out the few bits & pieces I hadn’t used yet from this collection, plus printed all of the 3×4 cards and a few extras. I’ve matched some distress oxide inks: Victorian Velvet, Fossilized Amber & Weathered Wood, added a Rose Gold ink pad & a couple of complimentary alphas.

I’m working on a few pages in my 2021 MAMBI Big Happy Planner. Specifically, 1st to 9th May.

I’ve worked out where are all of my photos are going (I print them on sticker paper to the right size) and stock those in place leaving room for journaling.

Which is often tucked under or behind something, I just LOVE the interactive pieces!!

With my photos & places for stories in situ the FUN begins!! I basically just flipped through my supplies and when I found the “right” piece/s stuck them down.

I pulled in a number of different stamp sets to use with my inks and layered my stamps with all of the fun stickers and cards I’m using.

I really LOVE the travellers notebook signatures that Traci includes in her collections so I chose a few of those to print on my sticker paper so they are as wide as the columns in my album. You can see the 2 rainbow striped ones on the left & the blue one with all the critters is the same!

I took a tonne of photos so I could capture all of the details!! Lots of fun patterns & beautiful colours layered together and I just love these pages!

Did you notice on the photo with both pages the “extra page” I included?? I simply stuck 2 3×4 cards back to back and then punched holes to pop it into my album!

And the right page also has lots of beautiful patterns & layered details!

And more fun interactive elements. The stitching here creates the middle of an “open book!”

And I’ve also included another of the TN signatures, this one was cut down to fit the space I had left.

I am thoroughly enjoying working in this format and especially love that with digital elements I can print them as many times as I want at whatever size I want!!

Make sure if you love this gorgeous collection you head over to the Traci Reed Designs shop RIGHT NOW, so you can grab it at 50% off!

I hope that you’ve enjoyed my share today and if you have any questions at all please drop them here!

Mel xx

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cut to you

CUT to YOU | Hey Bestie | Scrapbook Layout

Hey and hello CUT to YOU family, Melinda here with you to share my latest creation using another beautiful “Gwen” cutfile!!

I’m using the super fun and versatile “Hey Bestie” cut file available here in the store for today’s page.

I recently took advantage of a photo printing special and have a stack of newly printed photos that I couldn’t wait to start scrapping with. Since I recently created a layout with an OLD photo of myself and my bestie I wanted to create a much newer one and thought I would incorporate the cut file with our mutual fave colour, pink!!

For something different I cut my file from some pink pattern paper from the “Classic Heidi Bundle” I picked up recently. I’ve used the paper that is about 2/3 light pink and 1/3 darker pink and love how the cut file has the ombré look to it!!

Side note, the internal letters were SOOOO PRETTY I couldn’t NOT use them so here’s a sneak peek of something coming next month 😉

On with this page!! I backed my cut file with washi tape!!! So fun! I just rolled some tape onto smooth white cardstock, traced my cutfile and then cut out my letters!!

I decided to create my own “die cut ephemera” using a layering stamp set, pink and green/teal inks and matching dies and just love how they turned out!

With lots of layers of pink around and behind my photo I created a mixed media background using BLACK!!! And I just adore how this works! It really makes all the things POP!

I, of course, have a process video for you to see this page come together and I do hope that you enjoy!!

Remember, this month is birthday month for CUT to YOU so make sure you are signed up to all of the things in all of the places so you don’t miss any of the fun celebrations! And Gwen has even put together a bundle of cut files in the store for all of your birthday page needs, with a discount too 😉

I hope you have enjoyed my share today (and my little sneaky peek!!) and I can’t wait to share my next creation with you!! Have a fab scrappy day!!
Mel x

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cut to you

CUT to YOU | This Face

July is here which means it is time to celebrate!! Yep, it’s CUT to YOU’s birthday month which means lots of fun inspiration for you and each of us DT members have been given instructions to scrap lift the boss! Here is the page that I created and I just LOVE how it turned out!

Here is the Boss Lady’s original page that I lifted.

Pretty close, yeah?! AND I was able to totally make my page more ME!!!
Did you notice that in Gwen’s original design there is NO cut file?!? Well, I can’t scrap lift the boss for birthday month without using a cut file so I chose this gorgeous Floral Banner #3 (yep, I’ve used it before!!) to replicate the horizontal lines in Gwen’s orginal page.

The other very obvious (to me at least!!) thing on Gwen’s page that I wanted to include on mine was the almost vertical design with the florals and the photo. I have manipulated the Floral Banner #3 cutfile in the Silhouette software to replicate and re-size just the florals and then cut those on white cardstock as well.

I chose the Cocoa Vanilla Studio “Unforgettable” collection for this page. I thought that it would compliment the photo’s I’m scrapbooking perfectly and I couldn’t have been more right!! I love it!!

I’ve backed the cut files using the 6×8 Paper Stack. And then in true Gwen style I have created cascading clusters both above and below the photos. Even chopping off parts of the extra florals to then tuck in else where!

Gwen also used a couple of butterflies on her layout so I knew that I simply HAD to incorporate a couple into mine! There were 2 left in the ephemera pack and they worked beautifully, one on either side of the photos!

In order to take this page from “Gwen” to “Melinda” I added some messy thread behind the 2 butterlies and finished off with some Rose Gold splatters to tie in the Thickers I used to build my title. Definately a “Melinda” page but I think I totally nailed the “scraplift the Boss Lady” brief! What do you think??

I’ll leave you with my scrapbook process video below AND make sure you are a member of the CUT to YOU HQ group on FB – you really don’t want to miss any of the fun for birthday month!!

I hope that you have enjoyed my share today and that you are thoroughly enjoying all of the extra inspiriation we have for you this month! Remember to check back in the store for NEW RELEASES (so fun!!) and, if you haven’t already, make sure you check out this post for all you need to know about applying to be a part of this amazing DT team!!

Until next time, happy scrapping!
Mel
xx

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CUT to YOU | First Let Me Take a Selfie

Melinda here with you today sharing my latest creation with a super fun cut file on a super fun scrapbook layout!

I’ve used the “Selfie” cut file which you can find here in the store. Isn’t it so fun!

The photo’s I’m scrapping today are fun Summer photos so what better collection to pair them with than the vibrant Sunkissed collection by Cocoa Vanilla Studio!!

My cut file was cut in textured white cardstock and I cut it BIG!! I’ve used my Cameo to also cut the letters from the “Bright Side” 12×12 pattern paper. And the A5 Paper Stack to back the camera and a couple of layers behind my fun photo strip on the left hand side.

I just LOVE this floral camera and wish I could have one in real life! How fun would that be?!??

As you can see I have used a photo behind the lens of the camera. I just love how that brings your focus to the photo and then directs you around the rest of the page!

My largest photo was a tiny bit not wide enough, so to cover that up I’ve created an embellishment cluster, right on top of the photo and the cut file. From there I wanted to draw the eye diagonally across and down the page to my other photos.

If you’d like to see this page come together just hit that play button below! I hope you enjoy!

With such a large cut file most of my page was already designed for me so this one came together pretty quickly. And I love that I was able to overlap a few things without losing either the meaning or design of the cut file.

I hope that I have inspired you to perhaps create with a really BIG cut file or maybe to use a photo as a part of the backing of a cut file. Make sure you head over to the shop for all of the beautiful and fun designs Gwen has been loading up! Have you seen that there’s a new category in the shop for Bundles!!?! So, so great AND there is a disount when you buy any of them!

Have a fab, scrappy day and I’ll see you soon with my next share!
Mel

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cut to you

CUT to YOU | Fur Mum

Hey and hello my scrappy friends! Welcome to my blog today for my most recent share for CUT to YOU!

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I used the gorgeous “Spring Floral Edge” cut file for this one and I just love the way this came together!

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I have duplicated and flipped the cut file in Silhouette Studio to create an almost 12″ vertical strip. When I was happy with the overlap of the 2 pieces I welded them together and cut them as a long vertical piece. I would love to take full credit for this idea but I cannot – I did see it somewhere else a couple of months ago but sadly cannot remember who’s it was!! But full credit to that incredible scrapper!! Thank you for your inspiration!

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As you can see, after I cut the design I have carefully pieced it all back together. The negative pieces were stuck directly to my background while the floral/leaves were popped up on little pieces of foam to create this 3D look! So effective!!

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I have picked the Cocoa Vanilla Studio “Sunkissed” collection to work with for this page. With that very colourful background I wanted to add some contrast so threw in a few pieces of black along with my title acrylic piece. I love the way the black makes everything pop.

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I have kept my embellishing pretty simple with a few florals around my photo and title. I made sure to connect my floral pieces to the cut file to make it all work together.

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I have a process video for you which is linked below! I. hope that you enjoy!

I really love how this cut file has become a part of the page background rather than the main focus. So often it’s a case of “look, there’s a cut file!!” it’s nice to do something a little different! And still so, so effective!

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There are so, so many designs in the store that you could use this technique on, make sure you check them out! I particularly love the “Stained Glass 1” and the “Triangles Stacked” designs for this idea!!

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Until next time friends, happy a scrappy day!
Mel

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cut to you

CUT to YOU | Rad Like Dad

Good morning and welcome to my blog today! I’m really SUPER (see what I did there?!? lol) excited to share my latest creation with you using 2 more of Gwen’s fun designs!!

I had initally decided to use just this great Rad Like Dad cut file…

But as I got to working with my layout I decided I needed something extra in my background so I cut the Kaboom and Kapow cut files from the Superhero Page Builder cut file. I love this cut file and all of the different pieces!!

If you follow along on any of the CUT to YOU socials you will see that the lovely Tamara Buckler is the BEST at using Kraft cardstock for backgrounds so when I saw her latest page I just HAD to pull out some Kraft (and black!!) and get krafty!

I’ve used the Vicki Boutin “Let’s Wander” collection to back my cut file – choosing the red and blue because, Spiderman masks!!! Not only are we lucky enough that my MIL made us some face masks but she made my boys MATCHING Spiderman masks, perfect photo opportunity!!

I altered my title cut file in the Silhouette Studio software so I could pop my photo right in the middle and then cut it in black cardstock.

I desperately wanted to use the camera from the ephemera pack on this layout so I had to pull in the extra teal-ish colour. I did this not only with the camera but also by adding in 3 spots of mixed media in a matching colour behind my 3 clusters.

Using the areas where I had added the mixed media to create 3 clusters I finished my page off with some stickers from another Vicki Boutin collection, some enamel dots and gold stitching with my sewing machine.

I really love the fun and “superpower” feel to this page! Those speech bursts from the Superhero Page Builder cut file add just the perfect background element!

And that super fun and messy stitching just finishes everything off and ties it all together perfectly!

I’m sharing my process for this layout over on my YT channel and you can watch that right below by just hitting that play button!

I really hope that I have inspired you to create your own Superhero themed page or perhaps to use a cut file in a somewhat “altered” way to the original design like I have here with the “Rad Like Dad” cutfile!

Until next time, happy scrapping!
Melinda

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CTY | Love You | Mini Album

Hey there and welcome to the CUT to YOU blog today!!
Melinda here to share my most recent creation using a CUT to YOU cut file!

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Yes!! That is a mini album!!
Something different for me and all of the pages have been created using the Floral Banner #3 cut file.

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So, I’ve got a tutorial video for you today showing exactly my process for what and how I cut this cut file in a couple of different ways to create my mini album pages and some step by steps below!

Firstly, after I had opened and traced the cut file in Silhouette Studio, I horizontally flipped the cut file so the banner was on the right hand side. This piece is then what I used to create the different layers and becomes the backed cut file on the front page.

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The black base pages were created by doing an offset of the original file, setting it to 0.075in for the offset.
I then removed all of the inner pieces of the new, slightly bigger, cut file.

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I used my Cameo to cut all of the internal pieces of the florals and the banner to easily back my cut file.

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This was done by copying the original file and then releasing compound path.
Delete the entire outside edge of the cut file.

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Next, select all of the pieces of 1 floral, right click and select “make compound path” and repeat for other florals and the leaves with 2 pieces.

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Once all of your compound paths have been created select florals, banner and leaves and do another offset. This one was set to 0.05in.
After confirming your offset, delete the smaller, internal, original pieces.

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Now, you have the cover cut file pieces ready to cut along with the black base pages. All that is left is the pattern paper pieces that get layered onto the black cardstock.

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Once again, make a copy of the original cut file and release compound path. This time you need to delete all of the internal pieces which will leave you with just the outline which is the part you want cut to layer onto the cardstock.

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It seems complicated and a little tricky but once you get started and the more you practice the easier it becomes and honestly, making mini albums with cut files means the only constraints you have to work within is your own imagination!!

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I have used a Cocoa Vanilla Studio collection, Fresh Cut, to create my album and used some Storybook sequins by Spieglmom Scraps to add those finishing touches.

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I’m certain you worked out that this was a gift for a very close friend of mine and I’m happy to report that she loves it!

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Have you ever used cut files to create a mini album?? What cut file from the store do you think would make a great mini? I’d love to know!

Oh, and bonus!!! I almost forgot, I also have a video flip through of this mini for you!! I do hope you enjoy and I’m looking forward to sharing my next creation with you soon!! Until then, happy scrapping!
Melinda
xx

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cut to you

CUT to YOU | Sisters, Besties for Life

Hey there and welcome to my blog this lovely Wednesday, aka Hump Day! I’m here with you sharing my latest creation for CUT to YOU!

When I decided it was time to scrap this photo of myself and my little sister I just couldn’t go past this “Besties for Life” cut file available in the store!

I’ve pulled out my Cocoa Vanilla “Sunkissed” collection (just swoon!!) to create this page as I love the bright and bold colours in it and thought they worked beautifully with this almost Summer 2020 photo!

I used the A5 Paper Stack to back my cut file and had my Cameo do all the “hard” work cutting the letters!

With the orientation and placement of faces in my photo I did have to do a little surgery on my cut file but that was easy to cover up with a cute heart puffy sticker!

There is a process video for this page which is linked below! This was all shot in ONE go! I can’t believe it lol and I do hope that you enjoy!

I’ll leave you with a few close up photo’s and I’ll see you again real soon with another share for CUT to YOU!
Make sure you are subscribed to the newsletter for all of the fun things…. Yep, that’s a little hint right there for iNSD 2021, wink wink!!

Melinda
xx

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cut to you

CUT to YOU | The Best

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog today! I’m really egg-cited (haha!!) to share my latest creation with you for CUT to YOU featuring 2 of the newer Easter cut file designs!!

I started this page with the adorable Easter Nest cut file.

And couldn’t resist recreating my own “Lindt Gold Bunny” using the cute Bunny Silhouette cut file which I backed using some of the left over gold foil from our recent partnership with Spieglemom Scraps!!

For this page I wanted to use the beautiful new freebie digital collection by Traci Reed “Here Comes the Sun” which I have printed out on a bunch of different types of papers!!

My idea was to create 3 shaker pockets with the Easter Eggs in the Easter Nest cut file for some extra fun!

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I’ve hand stitched around the eggs which has given enough dimension for the sequins to move around and shake!

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I do have a process video for you if you’d like to see my page come together, just click that play button and enjoy!

Have you seen the newest release? Gwen, as always, has a stunning collection of fresh new cut files for this month and my personal fave is Party Bow!! IKR, it’s gorgeous! And such a different design for me to pick as much fave but I’m thinking up a creative way I can use it 😉

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Until I’m back, happy scrapping and I hope I have inspired you to maybe use multiple cut files in a project or perhaps even create a shaker pocket of your own!!

Melinda

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cut to you

CUT to YOU | Summer Days

Hi everyone! I’m so excited you are here with me as I share my latest creation for CUT to YOU with you!

How super fun and bright and colourful is it?!? I just LOVE it! And I love how I have used the “Summer Days” cut file as part of the background!!

When I decided to use this photo of my boys I just KNEW that the brand new Cocoa Vanilla Studio collection “Sunkissed” would be the perfect match! Knowing the photo and the collection I wanted to use just left the cut file choice! I wanted something that I could easily incorporate into my background without the cut file being the main and most obvious piece on the page.

I have sized the cut file to 9 different sizes and played with the idea I had in my head in the Silhouette software. When I was happy with the cut size and placement I sent the white card stock through to be cut.

On another piece of thick, smooth white card stock I had my Cameo trace the beginning and ending S’s in each line and also a horizontal line between each of the lines of text in pencil so I knew where to place each of the cuts. I do show that part of my process in my process video which is linked below for you!

I’ve pulled out 5 Distress Oxide colours (from top to bottom – Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, Evergreen Bough, Peacock Feathers and Faded Jeans) and swiped those across my page – here is where those horizontal lines came into action 😉 – and then activated with a paint brush loaded up with water to create paint strokes.

When that was all dry, I adhered all of those “Summer Days” pieces with scotch tacky only in the centre line. For texture and interest I’ve then stitched straight through the middle of each of those title pieces with matching coloured thread and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE how it came out! I also stitched along the horizontal lines with some gold thread.

I’ve pulled a few pieces from the floral ephemera pack, the puffy stickers, the accessory sticker sheet, the gold foam titles and one of the wooden buttons to complete my page. My title is an acrylic piece from my stash. With all of my pieces in place I was then able to go back through to the cut files and lift up either edge for some interest!

This layout was oh so fun to create! I love that I have used a “title” cut file to create my background and that, with the help of my layer choices, it does not over my layout!! Gwen has so many titles in the store to choose from and I hope that perhaps I have inspired you to play with one as part of a background design!

I hope you have enjoyed my share today!! I look forward to sharing another project with you soon but until then, happy scrapping!!
Mel