My planning system for 2021
Hello Daisies ! I hope you all have a great begining of 2021 ! As it's my first blog post for this year, I wanted to show you what I decided to use for this...
Creating Embellishment Clusters for Memory Keeping Layouts
Hello, Friends!
Much of the joy in receiving a Cocoa Daisy kit is looking through all the beautiful embellishments. The Die-cuts, chipboard, stamps, enamel dots, wood veneer, stickers, and washi tape are just a few of the embellishment options that arrive at your door each month with our Memory Keeping Kits. In today’s post, we have several designers sharing some of the ways they create embellishment clusters on their layouts. Let’s see what they created!
We are starting with a Simple Dori Traveler’s Notebook design from Jil.
“I love building embellishment clusters! Mine tend to be messy and free-form. On this TN page, I'm documenting my Hobonichi, which I am using as a daily journal in 2021. I pulled from last month's New Chapter Classified: Memory Keeping kit for the vellum numbers; otherwise the spread was made with the Denim and Blush Collection.
The cluster above my title features a large floral die-cut, a heart hand-cut from the patterned paper, a bit of the rose-gold washi tape under all of this, and details created with glitter dots, ink splatters, and paper confetti. I added a tangle of black thread here and in the other two clusters as well. This touch connects the clusters to the title, which I stitched over with black thread.
The embellishment cluster that bridges my photo collage and journaling contains similar elements on a smaller scale, but also some of the kraft tissue paper that I used under my title on the facing page because I wanted to create cohesiveness.
Each cluster has a bit of stamping and a word/phrase strip. My smallest cluster is in the lower corner of the left page. I love creating a miniature version and a visual triangle, albeit a messy one that suits my style! I hope you'll experiment with clusters and develop an approach to them that works well for you!”
Ashley’s delicate embellishment clusters look lovely on her 6x8 page spread. 
“Embellishment clusters are a great way to add extra interest and dimension to a layout. Here, I paired the wood veneer circles from the New Chapter Modern Memory Keeping Kit with flowers from the January New Chapter Free printable.
First, I printed the flowers in different sizes and fussy-cut them to create my own die-cuts. Next, I cut two journal cards to 2x3” to match the size of the photo. I arranged the journal cards and photo on 6x8” white cardstock from the New Chapter Modern Memory Keeping Kit.
Then, I added my embellishment clusters. For each cluster, I built up the layers with one large flower, a wood veneer circle, and two small flowers on top. I chose three different points at the top, the side, and the bottom of the layout to create a visual triangle that helps guide the eye around the page.
I love a clean and simple layout, and the embellishment clusters add the perfect pop of color and dimension to this page. Happy creating!”
Audrey uses embellishment clusters to help tell her story.
“My cat, Barley has lately been obsessed with the shower and I wanted to do a layout to document that passion. The Denim and Blush Collection, complete with all the "love" sentiments was perfect to document her newfound love.
I started by making my own 12x12 piece of paper using the paper from the Denim and Blush Classified: Memory Keeping Kit. I accidentally cut the beige piece a wee bit small so I fixed that mistake by adding the red flower paper and blue word paper. I also added a strip of that beautiful floral washi tape to break up the page a bit. And, before I put my photo on, I splattered some black acrylic paint on the page for some added texture and dimension.
Next, I created my first embellishment cluster on the top left.  I chose sentiments that went with my theme: the cuteness of my cat and her love of the shower. I varied the shape, textures, and sizes of the embellishments to, again, provide dimension and texture, and give my layout some depth.
I did a second, smaller embellishment cluster opposite the first one on the bottom right of the layout. This embellishment cluster acts as my title and also tells the story of this layout. The cluster says "Barley can't get enough of the shower." This cluster complements the other cluster in that it tells the reader what the layout is about whereas the other cluster is the narrative of the story. Using embellishments to tell a story is one of my favorite techniques! I love the simplicity and the complexity of this layout! Cheers friends!”
Traci loves to create her own pocket cards using kit leftovers as embellishments. 
“Hey, Daisies! When I've used the heck out of a collection, I love transforming all the things I didn't use “as-is” into embellished elements that may fit my layouts a little better. This is a perfect tactic for tackling the pieces of a collection that may not work for your scrapping style or with sentiments you may not use. I like to think of this as a “batch embellishing” process that helps me use up my kit and save time in the future. 
I transformed 12 3x4 and 1 4x6 card that came in the New Chapter Collection into 10 layered cards with a variety of embellished clusters that will add extra oomph to my layouts down the line and make the page effortlessly come together! If you want to see how these embellished cards came together, check out my process video on my YouTube Channel.” 
So many wonderful ideas for embellishing your pages! We would love to see your embellishment clusters, too! Make sure to share with us by tagging @cocoa_daisy on social media or posting to the Cocoa Daisy Fan Page.
Best,
Rachel, Memory Keeping Team Blog Coordinator
“I love building embellishment clusters! Mine tend to be messy and free-form. On this TN page, I'm documenting my Hobonichi, which I am using as a daily journal in 2021. I pulled from last month's New Chapter Classified: Memory Keeping kit for the vellum numbers; otherwise the spread was made with the Denim and Blush Collection.
The cluster above my title features a large floral die-cut, a heart hand-cut from the patterned paper, a bit of the rose-gold washi tape under all of this, and details created with glitter dots, ink splatters, and paper confetti. I added a tangle of black thread here and in the other two clusters as well. This touch connects the clusters to the title, which I stitched over with black thread.
The embellishment cluster that bridges my photo collage and journaling contains similar elements on a smaller scale, but also some of the kraft tissue paper that I used under my title on the facing page because I wanted to create cohesiveness.
Each cluster has a bit of stamping and a word/phrase strip. My smallest cluster is in the lower corner of the left page. I love creating a miniature version and a visual triangle, albeit a messy one that suits my style! I hope you'll experiment with clusters and develop an approach to them that works well for you!”
Ashley’s delicate embellishment clusters look lovely on her 6x8 page spread. 
“Embellishment clusters are a great way to add extra interest and dimension to a layout. Here, I paired the wood veneer circles from the New Chapter Modern Memory Keeping Kit with flowers from the January New Chapter Free printable.
First, I printed the flowers in different sizes and fussy-cut them to create my own die-cuts. Next, I cut two journal cards to 2x3” to match the size of the photo. I arranged the journal cards and photo on 6x8” white cardstock from the New Chapter Modern Memory Keeping Kit.
Then, I added my embellishment clusters. For each cluster, I built up the layers with one large flower, a wood veneer circle, and two small flowers on top. I chose three different points at the top, the side, and the bottom of the layout to create a visual triangle that helps guide the eye around the page.
I love a clean and simple layout, and the embellishment clusters add the perfect pop of color and dimension to this page. Happy creating!”
Audrey uses embellishment clusters to help tell her story.
“My cat, Barley has lately been obsessed with the shower and I wanted to do a layout to document that passion. The Denim and Blush Collection, complete with all the "love" sentiments was perfect to document her newfound love.
I started by making my own 12x12 piece of paper using the paper from the Denim and Blush Classified: Memory Keeping Kit. I accidentally cut the beige piece a wee bit small so I fixed that mistake by adding the red flower paper and blue word paper. I also added a strip of that beautiful floral washi tape to break up the page a bit. And, before I put my photo on, I splattered some black acrylic paint on the page for some added texture and dimension.
Next, I created my first embellishment cluster on the top left.  I chose sentiments that went with my theme: the cuteness of my cat and her love of the shower. I varied the shape, textures, and sizes of the embellishments to, again, provide dimension and texture, and give my layout some depth.
I did a second, smaller embellishment cluster opposite the first one on the bottom right of the layout. This embellishment cluster acts as my title and also tells the story of this layout. The cluster says "Barley can't get enough of the shower." This cluster complements the other cluster in that it tells the reader what the layout is about whereas the other cluster is the narrative of the story. Using embellishments to tell a story is one of my favorite techniques! I love the simplicity and the complexity of this layout! Cheers friends!”
Traci loves to create her own pocket cards using kit leftovers as embellishments. 
“Hey, Daisies! When I've used the heck out of a collection, I love transforming all the things I didn't use “as-is” into embellished elements that may fit my layouts a little better. This is a perfect tactic for tackling the pieces of a collection that may not work for your scrapping style or with sentiments you may not use. I like to think of this as a “batch embellishing” process that helps me use up my kit and save time in the future. 
I transformed 12 3x4 and 1 4x6 card that came in the New Chapter Collection into 10 layered cards with a variety of embellished clusters that will add extra oomph to my layouts down the line and make the page effortlessly come together! If you want to see how these embellished cards came together, check out my process video on my YouTube Channel.” 
So many wonderful ideas for embellishing your pages! We would love to see your embellishment clusters, too! Make sure to share with us by tagging @cocoa_daisy on social media or posting to the Cocoa Daisy Fan Page.
Best,
Rachel, Memory Keeping Team Blog Coordinator