At the Beach

Summer Scrapbooking Tutorial: Coastal Bliss with Shimmer and Shells 🌊✨

Hi there, crafty friends! 🐚 For my latest creation, I used the Uniquely Creative Coastal Bliss Collection, which is perfect for summer layouts. Follow along as I walk you through my process and share tips (and a few lessons learned along the way)!

Step 1: Choosing the Base Paper

I fell in love with The Sea is Calling paper—it made the perfect background for this summery layout. Since I was also creating for the January Challenge, I decided to use the elements pink, shells, and shimmer from the Tic Tac Toe board.

Step 2: Playing with Shimmery Paints

Shimmer is life! ✨ I decided to use Shimmerz Paints for their amazing shine and sparkle. Shimmerz, Creameez, and Inklingz are all part of the Shimmerz Paints family, each with unique properties:

Shimmerz: These are intensely shimmery and vibrant paints, perfect for adding bold sparkle to your projects. They’re ready to use straight from the jar.
Creameez: These have a creamy, subtle shimmer with a more matte finish compared to Shimmerz. They offer a softer, more muted effect, ideal for delicate details.
Inklingz: These are highly pigmented, shimmering watercolors that come as a dry cake. Just add water to activate them, and they give a brilliant, lustrous shine.

Each type offers a different level of shimmer and texture, letting you customize your craft projects with ease! ✨

After testing a few colors, I settled on these beauties:

I shimmered a few frames to see what I liked best. My favorite method? Creating lines across the frame with the paint—it looked so dynamic!

Step 3: Coloring the Muslin

I wanted my natural muslin to have a soft, beachy vibe, but my first attempt didn’t go as planned. 🙈 So I switched to Tim Holtz Distress Spritz in Peacock Feathers.

Here’s how I did it:

Spray the ink onto your craft mat.
Add a little water and smush the muslin around to soak up the color.
Spray directly onto the muslin for extra depth.

The result was a gorgeous, aqua-toned texture that looked perfect for a beach-inspired page!

Step 4: Shaping Shells and Flowers

Next, I sifted through the Coastal Bliss Creative Cuts, Vellum Creative Cuts, and Coastal Ephemera packs. I picked out shells and flowers in shades of pink, aqua, and pale yellow. To give them dimension, I shaped them by hand—this added so much life to the page!

Step 5: Layering and Distressing

For my photo, I wanted a layered, beachy vibe:

I used papers from the 6x6 Paper Pack, layering them beneath the photo.
I distressed the edges of the papers to add texture (this is such an easy way to get a coastal feel!).
I popped a vellum frame into the mix and used foam tape to raise it for extra dimension.

✂️ Note: My frame ended up mostly covered—next time, I’d offset it a little more!

Step 6: Assembling the Layout

Now the fun begins! I arranged my muslin so it drifted between two flower clusters on either side of the page, pulling it apart slightly for extra texture. I layered my photo cluster on top, then added shells, flowers, and vellum creative cuts around it.

Pro Tips for Dimension:

Shape your elements (like shells and flowers) for a realistic look.
Use foam tape and glue to layer them effectively.
Hold pieces down as they dry if they’re stubborn!

I love how the starfish seem to “sneak” onto the photo. 🐚

Step 7: Adding Final Touches

To complete the page, I added:

Bubbles from the Coastal Bliss Rub-Ons for a fun underwater effect.
A title from the Coastal Bliss Dimensional Stickers—I used “At the Beach,” leaving off “Day” because every day felt like a beach day in Rarotonga!
Paint splatters using Bahama Mama and Slow Ocean for that effortless beachy finish.
Mermaid Bubble Beads for a touch of sparkle.

The Finished Page

The end result? A shimmering, dimensional layout that perfectly captures summer memories. 🌴🌞 I love how the muslin adds movement, and the layers of shells and flowers make the page pop.