APRIL challenges

 Welcome to our APRIL 2026 Challenges!

Not long until Easter - you get these April challenges and also the Easter Cybercrop challenges - plenty of inspiration to keep you ignoring the housework to play at your craft desk!

APRIL CHALLENGES

Our APRIL Moodboard: Ocean Oracle

This visual mood board - be inspired by these colours, vibes and techniques.

ALL Papercraft projects are welcomed: Scrapbooking, to art journalling, to tags and cards. We wanna see it all! :)

Colours: Use shades of seafood, turquoise, navy and driftwood

Vibe: Salt air, beach combing, tides, waves and coastal magic

Technique: Acrylic washes, wave textures and fibres

April - Book of Me

Our "Book of me" continues with this month's prompts. Use it to document memories, record reflections, and express yourself creatively. This month we focus on safety, comfort & identity.

Weekly Inspo Prompts : Mini-works of art

Every Monday, we will release a unique inspo prompt. Create your very own....Mini works of art
You create ATC or Index size cards created for your enjoyment, not to be swapped or traded. By the end of 2026, you will have your own collection of 52 cards that incorporated the weekly colour, quote, theme or technique.

Check out this {link}, to see the current list of weekly inspo prompts.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Participants must upload their completed projects into the APRIL Albums in the Scrapping Clearly Share and Inspire Facebook Group.

Please load your entries to the albums by the end of the month. Please note: Please edit your photo caption in Facebook to give us information about your project and inspiration.

Prize boxes and gift vouchers will be up for grabs at different times during the year, but mostly we hope you are here for inspiration not the prizes!

And for all your Mixed Media and Paper Craft needs, make sure you head to our website at: https://scrappingclearly.com.au/

Thank you,

Amanda

On behalf of the Scrapping Clearly team

“Go Where You Feel Most Alive”

Theme & Message

This creative piece speaks to freedom, intuition, and following what lights you up.

There’s a sense of movement, breath, and openness—as if the page itself is exhaling. The hummingbird becomes a guide— move toward joy, lightness, and energy.

A softer, nature-inspired palette creates a sense of calm vitality:

• Dominant tones:
  Teal, soft aqua, sage green
• Floral accents:
  Pink, magenta, yellow, violet
• Metallic warmth:
  Subtle gold accents add light and richness
• Neutrals:
  Whitewashed background with touches of black script. The overall effect is fresh, organic, and gently luminous.

Focal Elements

• Hummingbird
  The central symbol of energy, movement, and joy. Its wings suggest motion—capturing a fleeting, magical moment.
• Botanical Florals
  A vintage-inspired floral cluster that feels abundant and grounded—like nature in full bloom.
• Sentiment Strip
  Softly placed, not overpowering—allowing the message to feel like a whisper rather than a statement.

This spread uses restraint and softness in its layering:

• Whitewashed Base
  Creates space and breath—allowing elements to float rather than compete.
• Script Stamping & Mark Making
  Adds quiet texture and storytelling without overwhelming the composition.
• Botanical Collage
  Vintage florals bring familiarity and natural beauty.
• Paint Splatters (Black & Colour)
  Introduce energy and movement—echoing the hummingbird’s motion.
• Gold Accents
  Subtle highlights that catch the eye and add warmth.

Composition & Layout

• Two-Page Flow
  
• Left: grounded, floral, rooted
• Right: light, airy, in motion
• Visual Movement
  The eye travels from dense florals → across the centre → to the hummingbird in flight
• Negative Space
  Used intentionally to create calm and focus—this page breathes

Symbolism

• Hummingbird 
  Joy, resilience, and living in the present moment—seeking sweetness in life.
• Florals 
  Growth, abundance, and natural cycles—reminding us to bloom where we are.
• Gold 
  Light, value, and moments of magic—small but meaningful highlights.
• Open Space
  Freedom, possibility, and emotional clarity.

Final Artistic Insight

This piece is a beautiful example of less doing more. It trusts that not everything needs to be filled, it simply invites you to follow what feels alive.

Your vibe attracts your tribe

 Hello SC friends. Today I played once again with the wonderful LF 'quiet devotion' imagery. 

Started in a ABM 8x8 journal to create in. Used layers of paint, papers, infusions and various stencils from my stash. My focal image is where I get my inspiration from therefore Kylie's images are a perfect starting point. 

Stencil through my page the Lunar paste from Simon Hurley's 'lunar paste'

Fussy cut butterflies from the ATC 'steampunk fairies' and finished them with some glossy accents to give them some sturdiness.

Added some foliage die-cuts to fill the page to give it a botanical, natural earthy vibe.

A quote to complete this page for this month's mood board.

Hope this inspires you to get creating and make sure you post your creations on the SC socials.

 

Trust your heart

Hi everyone, hope you're having a great week.

I am truly obsessed with the LF Quiet Devotion images.

This time working in my 6x6 Kraft journal to create and highlight how cool these images are.

Building the background with strips of paper, paint and heaps of stencils from my stash to transform a blank page into something beautiful for this month's mood board. 

Hope this inspires you to create where you are, use what you have, create what you feel.

 

Meadow Wanderer blog post - by Pj

This journal spread was inspired by the March “Meadow Wanderer” challenge from Scrapping Clearly, which focuses on earthy tones and a calm, nature-inspired mood.

I love how this spread turned out — earthy, a little wild, and full of motion. I started in my Dylusions ledger journal and built the page up in layers so the background felt organic and lived-in before I added the birds and stamped elements.

Process

I primed the pages with the 13@rts clear gesso so the journal could take wet sprays and lots of layering without warping. For the base color I blended a soft aloe-toned Dina Wakley acrylic sprays with a touch of Stamperia leather spray to get a warm, aged foundation — the spray gives that beautiful mottled depth once it drys.

Some of the birds I stamped directly into the journal for a looser, in-situ look; others I stamped onto card and cut out so I could separate them from the background making them stronger focal points. I also stamped a Scribbly Bears and the Frida-inspired Dina Wakley stamps on card, cut them out, and collaged them in for extra texture and contrast.   

To add subtle pattern and atmosphere I used a 13@rts stencil ... with my ink pad and a blending brush, then layered the Dina Wakley leaf mask/stencil .... with the Stamperia avocado paint to create delicate foliage peeking through the background. Once the stencils and stamping were in place I scribbled over shapes and reiterated linework with pens to bring movement and energy to the birds. 

Finishing touches

I finished by lightly splattering gold and brown paints to tie the foreground and background together. The cut-and-paste stamped bits help the eye travel across the spread and give a sense of depth without overwhelming the ledger’s grid.

Thoughts & tips

Priming with gesso is a must when you want to add sprays and wet media without bleed-through.

Mixing stamps on card and stamping straight into the page gives you both control and spontaneity. Try both and see what balance you like.

Use stencils for atmosphere more than for perfect shapes — soft, blended stenciling reads like texture at a distance and keeps the page feeling layered.

Journey for my soul by Tracey B

 Good morning everyone and happy crafting Tuesday

I am just in my happy place using the colours from this month's moodboard, so here's another layout for inspiration.

I started with some leaf stamping using Distress inks (old paper, Bundled sage, Pumice stone & evergreen Bough)

I then mixed some impasto with some Art stones and scrapped through a Kaiser Craft brick stencil with a palette knife.   Leaving the stencil in place, I then sprayed with some Tattered Angels Chalkboard (Evergreen) and Distress spray stain (Twisted Citron).

Unfortunately I was a tad heavy handed with the spray and covered up most of my stamping.  

Oh well, you get what you get and you don't get upset!  

I then added some ephemera including

49 & Market Avesta chipboard

49 & Market laser cut elements (Spectrum Sherbet Tidal Wave)

49 & Market Textblends

49 & Market filmstrip (Sage)

49 & Market Starlight Dreams Diecuts

Dylusions ink spray (Fresh Lime)

I then coloured some more Art Stones my adding a few drops of alcohol inks (Mushroom, Hazelnut & Honeycomb) and affixed them with some 13@rts gel medium.

 

TFL

cheers

Tracey

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT - 5 Ways to Add Texture Without Using Texture Paste

 5 Ways to Add Texture  - Without Using Texture Paste

Showcasing our Design Team’s creative brilliance

Texture doesn’t have to mean thick mediums and heavy tools. Some of the richest, most engaging pages are built using clever layering and surface detail. Here are five texture techniques — along with inspiring examples from our Scrappingclearly Design Team — that you can recreate with products available in the Scrappingclearly shop.

1️⃣ Layered Ephemera Clusters – Tracey Beer Style

Ephemera clusters add instant dimensional interest without bulk. By stacking tickets, tags, die cuts, and focal pieces, you create visual depth that draws the eye.

Featured example:
In this layout, Tracey places a variety of ephemera beneath and around the photo, using foam tape to lift key elements and create shadow play. Notice how the layered bits guide your attention toward the story.

Tracey has used on her page - Lucky Findings Imagery - It's a gal thing , Dylusions spray inks , Letter stickers, Stencil with Dina Wakley paint (Sky), Stencil with Bo Bunny glitter paste (Bubblegum), Vicki Boutin ephemera, Heidi Swapp stickers (Sun Chaser and Carefree), 49 & Market diecuts, Heidi Swapp puffy  stickers (Favorite Things) & Heidi Swapp dipped tags

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2️⃣ Rub-Ons for Subtle Surface Detail – Emma Zappone Magic

Rub-ons are ideal for adding texture that doesn’t interfere with bulk — they sit right on the surface and feel naturally integrated.

Featured example:

In this piece, Emma applied delicate rub-ons across the background and edges, adding subtle visual texture that complements stamped details and layered papers. The effect is soft, rich, and unifying.

Emma has used on her page - 

Lucky Findings Imagery Sheets, Rub ons

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3️⃣ Stencil with Ink Instead of Paste – Tracey Lea Henly Inspiration

Stencilling with inks or paints through a stencil gives you repeated patterns and visual texture — without adding physical height.

Featured example:

Tracey uses a patterned stencil with distress inks to create a subtle background pattern that ties all the cluster elements together, adding implied texture and movement.

Tracey has used on her page - 

Tim Holtz distress inks in Hickory Smoke and Tea Dye , Tim Holtz stencils and Aall and Create ephemera

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4️⃣ Torn & Distressed Paper Edges – Georgia Arthur  Edge Play

Don’t underestimate the power of rough edges! Tearing, inking, sanding — these small moves create a tactile, organic feel.

Featured example:

Georgia tears and inks several layers of patterned paper, adding a raw, earthy texture that suits the theme beautifully. The distressed edges lead the eye inward toward the focal point.

Georgia has used on her page - 

 49 & Market plum grove, papers, this gorgeous imagery Little Peacock from LuckyFindings.

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5️⃣ Paint for Organic Movement – Lisa Oxley Expressions

Whether it’s painting, dry brushing, splattering, or scraping, paint introduces variation and energy across the surface.

Featured example:
In this example, Lisa uses a acrylic paint with stencils to add movement behind the main elements. The paint marks provide contrast and visual texture without heavy buildup.

 Lisa has used on her page  - 

 DWM Black Gesso,  Ranger Dylusions Square Journal,  DWM Bee Hive honeycomb, gelli plate, Inktense ,  beehive stencil, DWM Gesso,  Prismacolour pencils,  Darkroom Door background stamp,  fudeball black pen, splatter girl stamp, Dorlands wax medium

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Texture Is More Than Thickness

True texture comes from contrast, layering, repetition, shadow, movement, and intentional detail — and our Design Team has shown us gorgeous ways to achieve it in every style.

Take inspiration from these examples, swap products from your stash, and layer boldly.

Until next time enjoy the process, lean in to the chaos of creativity

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