Couture Creations 2016/17 Design Team Audition

I have decided to take the plunge and try out for the Couture Creations Design Team... I love using dies and embossing folders in various ways on my layouts... not always as they were intended. So this would be a perfect way to showcase some of my scrapping.

As per the requirements of the application, here are some pics of my work (most of them seen before) that showcase my style and use of products.

Up first is a layout that I created using Couture Creations paper that I received as a prize last year for correctly guessing that they are the sponsor of the upcoming Secret Scrapbooking Event (can't wait... less than a month to go!)

On this layout I used lots of little quilled flowers that I cut from a die that I have. As the paper I used is double sided, the flowers look different depending which colour is rolled on the inside. The layout was finished with border punches, bling and ribbons. The title was cut on the Silhouette machine and then covered with diamond glaze.

For my next layout, I used a border die which I cut four times, to create two strips above and below the row of photos on the bottom on the page. The top strip just has the scollops hidden under the photos whereas the bottom ones overlap the pics.

This layout was finished off with a self-designed title cut on my silhouette (I think this was the first time I had used my machine!), and some ink splats. Simple embellishments that lend to the theme of the photos.

My third page that I am showing is fairly simple, yet effective in it's design... just a few hexagons cut with my nesting dies in various papers to lend pattern and movement to a page.

Now on to some fun, for this page I created a tag with my embossing folder, which I had inked with red and green before running through my cuttlebug. I also coloured the ribbon and then added some glittered texture paste through a stensil and a few coffee stain stamps.

Here is an upclose shot of the tag and stencilling:

My final layout is a new one I made specially for this application. I found in my ever-growing stash of free cutfiles, a few Christmas ornaments. After finding the perfect sketch and printing my photo I dug out my Christmas range from Couture Creations to find the perfect matching paper.

I cut the ornaments on my new Curio machine (yes I blush in saying it's been sitting in it's box since BEFORE Christmas - was a learning curve in setting it up!). Once the paper was cut, I chose three different embossing folders and three different inks to use. I rubbed the ink on the folder and then added an ornament before running through the cuttlebug. Some I did on the positive side, and some on the negative... the blue and small green one I embossed first and then ran the ink over the raised bits.

The title strips are from another embossing folder (all these Christmas ones were part of that same prize pack mentioned earlier). I dithered a bit on what to do with the whole block of words, but then inspiration hit... I cut it up and applied different colours to each piece to tie in with the ornaments.

To finish off I used a date stamp and then added in a few coloured blings scattered around.

So there are my layouts... but that's not all. While thinking about this application I also did a few other "off the page" items which I have blogged about earlier this week in step-by-step tutorials.

My CREATE wall art... you can read about it here

and a card I made for The Wholesaler's 10th birthday... again you can read about how I made it here.

So now I am off to send in my application email and hold thumbs I hear back in a positive manner. Till then I shall continue to scrap up a storm.