February Design Team Reveal for A Cut Above Challenge Blog

Hello everyone, it is the start of the month, which means it is time to share my Design Team layout for the A Cut Above Design Team. The February theme at A Cut Above is “Anything Goes”, which means it is your choice.... a great way to get involved, as we all have lots to scrap or cards to make that will suit.....as long as your project features at least one die‑cut. In accordance to the guidelines, a die cut counts when it’s made with a die‑cut machine rather than bought pre‑cut, it can be either an electronic or manual machine.  

This month I wanted to use a photo of Paige and me, which I took in a quiet moment sitting on a park bench overlooking a beach. It was a moment that we just simply sat and enjoyed the view. 

My inspiration for this page was actually a sheet of patterned paper with gorgeous yellow stars that have touches of flowers of blue and red on them: Uniquely Creative's Written in the Stars Bright Star UCP3001 paper, when I saw it, I knew I had to use it with this photo. From there I pulled out my metal dies and looked for smaller-sized stars to work in with the theme of the paper. Metal dies are wonderfully versatile. I cut a pile of small stars from scraps of blue patterned paper and cardstock, these smaller stars are sprinkled throughout the layout. For my title I reached for two different alphabet die sets. The tall, narrow letters forming the word “STAR” lend a strong vertical element, while the script‑style letters spelling out “shining” add a playful flourish. I complemented these die‑cut letters with foam alpha Thickers for the words “You’re my.” Mixing die‑cut fonts with other alphabet products like stickers or stamped letters gives you endless options for creating title blocks that are interesting and unique. Here’s a look at the die sets and a few of the die‑cut stars:

This combination of metal dies and letter stickers shows how easy it is to adapt your supplies. If you don’t have exactly the right word in a sticker pack, a metal die font can fill the gap.

While the smaller stars were cut with metal dies, the larger stars and flowers were fussy cut from patterned papers. I tucked these big stars behind my photo and layered florals around them, creating little clusters that help guide the eye across the page. Here you can see some of the die cuts with the fussy‑cut elements, showing the layered clusters:

Mixing die‑cuts with hand‑cut pieces gives the page a more organic look. The clusters are built up with a mixture of patterns and shapes, and they spill out from behind the tilted photo mat for a carefree, joyful feel. Small punched or die‑cut stars are sprinkled around to link the clusters together.

When there are lots of loose elements it helps to add visual anchors so the pieces don’t appear to float away. I doodled rough black outlines around the edges of the large fussy‑cut stars and along the border of the woodgrain paper. These lines ground the shapes and give them a hand‑drawn touch. I also added black ink splatters and enamel dots throughout the page and used a wash of orange ink on the woodgrain paper to create an extra anchor point behind the photo. These splashes of colour tie the layout together and stop the background from blending into the foreground. 

A few light splatters of orange and black ink over the woodgrain add just enough grunge to contrast with the crisp die‑cut stars and flowers. It also helps the journalling around the edge stand out without overwhelming the centre. Putting these techniques together resulted in a bright and cheerful page that celebrates a special memory.

Creating with metal dies is such a joy, they’re reusable, they cut clean shapes from any paper and they mix beautifully with stickers, stamps and hand‑cut elements. I hope my page inspires you to pull out your die‑cutting machine and join the February challenge at A Cut Above. Remember, anything goes as long as you include at least one die cut. Have fun and happy crafting.

Hugs 

Tracey

Guest Designer for Paper Rose Studio - layout two

Earlier in the month I shared that I was asked to be a Guest Designer for Paper Rose Studio and they published my first layout I created with the beautiful Paper Shoppe Collection. Well I am on there again with my second layout that I created and this time it's a layout about Paige; a photo taken from her Formal for Year 10. 

If you want to see more details pop on over to the Paper Rose Studio Blog and have a look and read. I must admit I really love creating with their products, they have great designs and really good quality papers and embellisment which support and enhance the collection beautifully.

Guest Designer for Paper Rose Studio

I wanted to share some very exciting news with you all. I was invited to be a Guest Designer again for Paper Rose Studio, and it was such an honour to be asked.

Paper Rose Studio is a brand I have admired for a long time and love working with their high quality products. Their products are beautifully designed, versatile, and perfect for scrapbooking. Being given the opportunity to create with their range was something I was genuinely excited about.

I recently created a scrapbook layout using their Flower Shoppe collection, which has been featured on the Paper Rose Studio website. You can view the project here:

https://paperrose.com.au/blogs/paper-rose-studio/flower-shoppe-scrapbook-layout-tracey-campbell

Working with this collection was a joy. The florals, colours, and embellishments came together so easily and really suited my style. It was wonderful to have the chance to showcase their products and share a little of my creative process.

Thank you for following along and supporting my creative process, please let me know what you think. And keep watching the Paper Rose Studio Blog for a few more creations with the Flower Shoppe Collection that I have done.

A Cut Above Challene Blog January Design Team Reveal

Happy New Year, crafty friends. I’m kicking off 2026 with my very first Design Yeam reveal of the year for A Cut Above Challenge Blog, and I’m so excited to share this month’s project with you. If you’re new to A Cut Above, it’s a fun monthly challenge blog dedicated entirely todie cutting, manual dies, digital cut files, all the layers and intricate shapes we love. Each month we hope to inspire you to dive into your stash, get creative, and maybe even try something a little different.

We’d absolutely love for you to play along with us this year. Whether you're new to die cutting or completely obsessed (like me), the challenges are open to everyone. Pop over each month, check out the inspiration from the Design Team, and join in. Let’s make 2026 a year full of gorgeous cuts, clever ideas, and layouts or cards that make you smile.

I started this layout by pulling out my stash of excess die-cuts, all the pieces, words and shapes I’d saved from various projects throughout 2025. I already had this adorable toddler photo of Paige sitting next to me, so I kept glancing at it for inspiration as I sorted.

As I sifted through everything, the small colourful foliage pieces instantly stood out. They felt playful and perfect for the photo. I also spotted the large die-cut word HAPPY and knew straight away it would make the perfect title.

Next, I grouped all the leftover foliage by colour. Once I had them sorted, I laid them out in loose rainbow order to see how everything flowed together. This helped me see which colours I had plenty of and which ones I might need to boost.

With the rainbow piles sorted, I grabbed the metal dies that matched the shapes in front of me. I pulled them out “just in case” I needed to cut extras to complete the colour spectrum or fill any gaps.

These are the six foliage dies I used, my absolute favourites for building clusters, texture, and movement. They’re tried-and-true workhorses in my die-cutting stash.

I just want to now share with you how I store and organise my metal dies. I keep all of mine sorted by theme in a container, each group stored neatly in individual ziplock bags.

Here’s a closer look at just my foliage bag, you can see I’ve labelled it clearly so I can grab it quickly. This simple organisation trick has saved me so much time.

Back to the layout. I chose four colours to match the tones in my die-cut piles: peach, apricot, light olive green and blue. Using the straw from the lid of the spray inks, I added soft splatters to each quarter of my white 12x12 cardstock, giving a gentle base of colour that blends with the foliage.

Once the background was completely dry, I began arranging the die cut foliage around the photo, working from light to dark. The bright pink pieces I originally included felt too heavy, so I removed them, but doing so I felt like the foilage was to sparce around the photo so I went looking for a colour to fill it with. 

I decided to bring in a deep navy. Luckily, I already had the right metal dies sitting out, so I grabbed a scrap of navy paper and quickly cut a few new foliage pieces.

I then re-arranged everything around the photo one more time, adjusting the rainbow flow, tucking in the navy pieces, and finally adhering all the foliage in place.

With the background complete, I moved onto the title. I chose a patterned paper to back the word HAPPY, flipped the die-cut title over, and traced the inner sections with pencil as cutting guides onto the backside of the pattern paper.

After cutting the pieces out, I adhered the patterned paper behind the title so the small, colourful heart pattern peeked through each letter.

When I placed the completed title on the layout, it didn’t stand out the way I wanted. It blended a little too softly into the foliage.

To help the title pop, I doodled around the edges of each letter. That instantly gave it definition, but then I needed the doodling to feel planned and  intentional so I added a doodled border around the entire 12x12 background and a frame around the photo as well.

For extra dimension, I gently curled, bent and lifted some of the foliage edges so they sit slightly off the page. This gives the layout height, depth and movement.

To finish off I adhered a few enamel dots and hearts to match the rainbow colours and completed the look.

I’m so happy with how soft, colourful and dimensional this page turned out. The doodling feels very “me” right now, and I had to stop myself from adding black splatters (my usual weakness). Using up leftover die-cuts at the start of a new year is such a satisfying way to clear space and get inspired for all the layouts to come.

December Design Team Reveal for A Cut Above

 Hello fellow scrappers.

I am happy to share my December Design Team layout for the A Cut Above Design Team. This month, I am showcasing metal die with my layout "Snorkelling in Paradise Blue."

Lately, I have been obsessed with incorporating tags. They are wonderfully decorative and incredibly functional. On this page, my die-cut tags are perfect for adding layers behind my photos and are functional for hiding journaling.

Here are the quick steps to build this dimensional page.

Step 1: Die-Cutting the Core Elements I cut all my structural pieces first: tags from patterned paper  and all my detailed ocean elements (fish, coral, shells) from black cardstock.

Step 2: Customising the Die-Cut Shapes To bring the scene to life, I customised the black die cuts by painting water colour paints directly onto them.

Here is how they looked when they dried off.

Step 3: Building the Tags and Photos I layered the die-cut tags vertically to create an anchor for my photos over the patterned paper vertical penants. I matted the photos in bright blue and popped them up with foam adhesive for crucial dimension.

Step 4: Placing the Scene. Finally, I scattered the custom-coloured die-cut fish, coral, and seaweed shapes across the page, tucking them around the photos and title to create a vibrant sense of movement and depth.

I hope I have given you a bit of inspiration to pull out your metal dies and get scrapping.

Double the Challenge: CSI Case Files

I’m sharing my two layouts from last months CSI case files tgat I never got around to sharing in October.... better late than never, right? The contrast between these two challenges was massive, which made them both fun in different ways.

The Bright Side of Style (Case File #465)

For this one I was inspired by the super bold lady with the neon feathers, to me it  was all about being fearless and vibrant.

Colour Palette: High energy colours: Orange, Teal/Aqua, Hot Pink, White, and Grey, what a combo... which I had to use and now love them together. The Story: Documenting Paige and her epic, colourful Movieworld braids. They were perfect for this theme. Details: I layered on the geometric patterns, some shiny metallic bits, and fir those fluffy pink feathers I created pink tuffets using tulle and a metallic pop in the middle. Total maximalist chic. Journaling: A quick style critique, I tried to keep it short and punchy, like a fashion journalist would.

Enjoy the View/Live the Adventure (Case File #464)

The second challenge shifted gears entirely. The inspiration was that beautiful, soft, vintage hot air balloon scene. It called for texture and travel vibes.

Colour Palette: Much softer—Muted Teal, Cream, Mustard Yellow, and that lovely Burnt Orange. The Story: This documented our awesome resort trip to Phuket, focusing on the adventure side of travel. Details: I went heavy on collage: torn map paper, banner shapes, and a cluster of layered frames to capture the view. Of course, I had to add the tiny hot air balloons. Journaling: A brief, postcard-style message written around the page edge.

I'm really loving the CSI Case files as inspiration lately as they really keep me thinking outside of the box, so much fun. 

Happy scrapping.

November CSI Challenge - Case File 466

This CSI Case File 466 totally stole my heart — I mean, how could I resist these quirky feathered characters and that bright, happy colour combo?

For the inspiration for my layout I leaned into all the feather fun. I created a big colourful feather burst behind the photo, added doodles, splatters and little cutout birds eith a mixed font from my very old stash of Heidi Swapp alphas for a playful title.

The "Evidence" I used was:

✔️ Feathers

✔️ Bling

✔️ Stitching (faux & messy — my fave)

✔️ The colour scheme

✔️ Quirkiness

✔️ Playful accents & trios

The layout is about Paige meeting this cheeky, colourful parrot — pure joy, smiles and giggles, she isn't scared of any animal (big or small).

The layout turned our bright, messy, and happy — just the way I love it.

A Cut Above November Design Team Reveal

This layout is my A Cut Above Design Team creation for November, and it marks the first page of my Phuket holiday album. I wanted it to capture that feeling of shifting gears from everyday life into full holiday mode.

I started with a world map patterned paper, which instantly set the travel tone, and planned a vertical photo arrangement to lead the eye down the page. It’s a simple but effective way to create a sense of direction and movement — perfect for a travel theme.

My first die cut was the photo itself, trimmed into an emoji-style location point with a heart in the centre. It was such a fun idea, and of course, I got so caught up in the process that I forgot to take any progress shots. It was a great way to kick off the theme, though, tying in both travel and a love of adventure.

Next, I pulled out my trusty metal dies and started cutting film strips and small alphas for the title. Metal dies are perfect for creating tailored titles — you can choose the exact style, and paper to suit your layout, and you never have to settle for the wrong font (if you have it) or colour.

I arranged the film strip die cuts vertically around my photos to echo the look of an old-fashioned photo booth strip. It gives the page a lovely flow from top to bottom and adds to that sense of movement. The crisp edges from the metal dies make everything look clean and polished.

For the main title, From Home to Holiday Mode, I mixed Thicker alphas with my die-cut letters. Combining different fonts adds variety and a bit of character, and it’s also a clever way to use up leftover letters from half-empty alpha packs. For the word Phuket another die-cut font demonstrate how perfect it can be to mix and match fonts.

Once everything was in place, I decided the page needed a few extra elements to strengthen the travel theme. I used a suitcase metal die and black cardstock to cut several suitcases, then adhered them with foam tape for dimension. It gave the layout more texture and helped balance the design.

To complete the page, I added a hand-drawn border, some dotted travel lines, and a scattering of small hearts. These final details pulled everything together and added a touch of personality without overpowering the main design.

Metal dies really were the heroes of this layout — from the custom photo shape to the film strips, alphas and little suitcases, they helped me create a cohesive, travel-inspired page that perfectly sets the tone for my holiday album.

Make sure you pop into the A Cut Above Blog to check out the other great Design Team's inspiration for the month.