We are half way through May already and winter temperatures are already creeping in. Soon it will be time to rug up and stay indoors, perfect scrapbooking weather.

This month saw the release of the ‘Forever’ themed products and two new Big Shot starter kits. These kits are designed so that they can be used with any theme on the page and are a great basic set to have in your tool box.

The Big Shot starter kit shown below, DIE 275, is the larger of the two sets. The embossing folder is 10.5cm x 14.5cm and from that you can tell the size of the dies.

A beautiful card shown above, created with the Big Shot starter kit. Below a lovely page created with the AZZA Java stencil, decorations using the Big Shot starter kit dies and embossing folder.

The smaller Big Shot starter kit is shown below, it is the same size as the AZZA mini collection sets.

The latest mini collection set is ‘Music’ seen below.

I loved this layout below by Cecile in Europe. Cecile has used the AZZA Osaka stencil for her layout and then products from the Forever range released this month for her decoration. The embossing folder is going to be one of my favourites I think.

Die 269 is another very versatile die, I have seen it used on many pages this month.

I used the Forever products on my double page below. I used the AZZA Osaka stencil and a vertical double page. New vertical pages will be released next month, I have a bit of old stock. I used the vertical double page as all my photos were portrait. If you only have landscape photos you can do the same layout, just swing it 90 degrees.

The slim photo on the left is showing from the back page, remember when you do this the image seen when the page is closed must be decent. I used the Forever embossing folder on the paper and it is delicate enough to use with a large piece of paper. The lovely ‘Watercolour’ patterned paper worked perfectly with the photos. Unfortunately, the Forever die that I used has sold out in both Australia and Belgium and will not be re-run. The stamp I used for the word ‘Forever’ is on the fairly new AZZA Word stamps released in Australia.

Below you can see the page open. I used the small dies from the Big Shot Starter kit for the tab to open the page, lace patterned paper and a figurine which I placed on a circle cut from an off-cut of one of the photos. I used one of the dies from the Forever set but cut the circle off it.

I have found the ‘Watercolour’ paper blends well with colours across the spectrum. Below are a few pages I created for a very special family album. The first I used the Loire stencil and die, finishing the decoration off with the beautiful Silhouette butterfly, a stamp, inks and Resin dots. The second page was created with with the AZZA Boston stencil duo. The lovely Watercolour patterned paper needs no further decoration.

The new ‘Love’ album is just perfect for so many themes in an album, not only wedding. I am using one for the family album I am working on at the moment.

You can incorporate the images from the Forever stamp with the Forever die, which cuts beautifully as you can see in the samples below.

I would love to show you the whole page, but I could not find it on Pinterest. The gentle shading on the stamped images can be achieved with Alcohol pens, inks or chalks.

If you don’t think you are great at decoration, the Figure sheet always provides instant images you can colour in, place 3D mousse behind and pop onto the page very quickly.

They are white so can be coloured easily.

If you have enjoyed the book previously release by AZZA, the best selling one being “Around the Single photo”, this month AZZA has released a book “Children”. Although the title is “Children” obviously the layouts can be used with any theme on the page. In the book there are 28 different layout ideas and two ideas for mini albums.

This month also saw the release of an AZZA Scrap kit and Scrap kit PLUS. These kits are great for gifts or to purchase for a specific project. It includes, the Album, stencil, pages, ideas book and an A4 sheet of figures and an A4 Decoration stencil. When you purchase the Scrap kit and Theme kit together in a bundle, you can save 10%. If you are a beginner, new to AZZA or want a very simple stencil, this one is perfect.

Now for a few Osaka layouts I thought I would share with you. This first page was created by Favienne Graulich-Lorge in Europe.

Anne-Nathalie has used the paper and stamp from the 20th Anniversary box set.

I liked this black and white page above. I am sure the Daydream image has been stamped onto vellum and then placed onto the page. It can be adhered to the page behind the Resin dots.

I liked this decoration above by Nadia. For all of you that received the AZZA Mail-Out last month with a lesson on texture stencils, this is a perfect example of using a ‘strip’ of AZZA texture stencil to create a lovely decoration on the page. Nadia has used the Texture stamp included in the AZZA 20th Anniversary box set. She has used the daydream embossing folder and texture duo stencil and lastly placed the little figures off the Forever figures sheet (or you could use the same image using the Forever die) placing a little 3D foam behind them to raise them up and lastly translucent Resin dots for their centre. Perfect use of an AZZA stamp, deco stencil, embossing folder and figures sheet to create a decoration.

This month Mail-Out was all about the next micro stamp released and the use of embossing folders. I found this layout today created with the AZZA Casablanca stencil and Arabian Nights products, so a few more ideas for the Mail-Out recipients as they will have already received the Arabian Nights micro stamp. This multi page was created by Clair Marquez in Europe.

Such lovely use of the AZZA products. You can find all the Arabian Nights products on our website, link below.

AZZA Australia is running a competition throughout the month of May celebrating Mothers. The page created must be created with ONLY AZZA products and the theme of the page is to be ‘Mother or Grandmother’. Pages to be submitted by the end of the month: deborah.azza@gmail.com. There will be a section for Consultants and a section for Clients, if you are a Client and have a Consultant please let us know. Details are in the latest AZZA newsletter.

Until the next blog,

Happy Scrappin’

Lyn