Hi! I hope everyone had a great week.
It was a hard one for me as it marked the first anniversary of my husbands death. It also was the first birthday of my granddaughter. So it was a bittersweet week!To keep my mind off things I again hijacked the blog at The Paper Passion this week. It also enabled me to get back into scrapbooking and hopefully inspired others to try new ideas. For my last week there, I used 2 of my favourite manufacturers - Graphic 45 and Prima!

I know last week I promised paints. texture paste, gesso and all that messy stuff. I have used them to a point but I couldn't bring myself to be too messy. I think I'm just too much of a neat freak - dripping paint and things out of order is just not me. It would drive me crazy and I would end up wiping it all off - LOL! That being said I did use mist, texture paste and gesso in a 'controlled way' and also keeping true to my style. I can live with that - it makes me happy!

My first layout is of my sweet little granddaughter. I used only two sheets of paper from Prima. They are both the same paper from the Devine collection called 'Canzone' but it is a 2-sided paper. I used the peach side for my main background then the reverse side for my accents.

I didn't distress the edges of this layout but I did a lot of inking on the edges as well as on most embellishments. I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo. Before adding anything I misted the paper with both a white mist from Studio Calico Mister Huey as well as a bronze glimmer mist by Tattered Angels. I also added some bricks using a Prima stencil, texture paste and ink.I used a chipboard lamp post and covered it in 2 coats of gesso. Once dry I inked the edges and added bronze colored pearls.

White flowers were inked and layered to the corner of the photo.

Along the bottom I tore a strip of the coordinating paper, punched and inked then added some vintage lace. I added Prima flowers and a Melissa Francis keyhole.

For the title I used naked Thickers chipboard fonts and covered in 2 coats of Gesso then inked.

On the top left corner I tore a piece of the coordinating paper to add balance and adhered a button.

This layout is soft and pretty as is the next one using a combination of Secret Garden and Sweet Sentiments papers from Graphic 45. I love that G45 papers from different collections all coordinate with each other.

This layout is of my nieces beautiful little daughter celebrating her parents marriage.

I used the 'frame' from one of the Secret Garden papers and covered the centre with purple and green patterned papers then a plain purple from the 6X6 Patterns and Solids Pad. Before adhering the layers I tucked in paper doilies to add interest and softness.
I tore a v-shape into the top 2 layers of papers, added some lace and inserted an angel from the Sweet Sentiments paper. Along the top edge I punched and inked a lace border.

Another angel from the same collection was fussy cut and placed in the corner of photo with yet another angel tucked into the lace and flowers on the bottom.