You Don't Need Approval - By Lisa Oxley Curated Collective Creator 2025

This bold and emotive mixed-media art journal spread is a celebration of self-worth, resilience, and unapologetic expression. Anchored by the empowering message “Remember, you don’t need their approval,” the piece radiates strength through vibrant colour, powerful portraiture, and layered symbolism.

 Key Visual Elements

1. Central Portrait – The Fierce Muse

At the heart of the piece is a digitally enhanced or hand-collaged portrait of a woman draped in rich blues, adorned with floral embellishments and butterfly accents. Her steady gaze and face partially painted with vivid blue mark her as a symbol of defiance, self-possession, and power.

   •   Expression: Calm, confident, and assertive — she doesn’t seek permission to exist fully.

   •   Palette: Blue dominates the figure, contrasted by warm skin tones and deep shadows to create emotional depth.

2. Monarch Butterflies

Floating around the composition, the vibrant orange monarchs provide a stunning contrast to the dominant blue hues. Butterflies traditionally represent transformation — here, they suggest freedom from societal expectation and personal growth.

3. Botanical & Natural Motifs

Painted and collaged blue foliage sweeps through the layout, softening the intensity with delicate, organic balance. They connect the composition to nature, grounding the emotional energy with calming structure.

4. Layered Collage & Ephemera

Elements like measuring tape, textured edges, vintage paper scraps, and photo frames create a scrapbook-meets-fine-art aesthetic, rich with symbolism:

   •   Measuring tape = judgment, comparison, standards

   •   Antique embellishments = heritage, memory, feminine power

   •   Blue painterly strokes = expression, release, clarity

5. Typography – The Affirmation

“Remember, you don’t need their approval.”

Positioned subtly beneath the focal portrait, this quote acts as a personal mantra — a quiet but unshakable declaration of self-trust.

'Beauty in Simplicity' by Emma Zappone with VIDEO

Hello Hello.
Em with you all today. Today's share is 9"x9" Layout. I have been so excited to play with this months board as well as this beautiful 'Velveteen Elk' foundations pack. So excited I made a process video too.
 

I used a variety of products, mainly 49&Market, but a variety that really complimented this foundation pack and colouring.

I created layers behind my image from the pack using the washi sheet just as it was, tearing it as it's thick enough. I also did this to the rice paper and cut a piece from the reinforcement ring sheet as well.
You can see this in more detail in the video.

I love these windows from Tim Holtz, and just had to use one in this project. The colours in this pack suit me perfectly, and inspire me a lot. 
I used 49&Market Rub-ons from a few different collections, choosing the ones that would fit this layout best. And there are resin castings in the mix, of course.

The image used in this project is one I found on Pinterest, I unfortunately couldn't find the original artist, but these images are just amazing!!

Check out my process video for more details here....

Thanks so much for joining me today.
I hope my creation has inspired you a little.

Till next time, stay Crafty.
Em xx

Product list:

49&Market
Tim Holtz Chipboard Quotes
Finnabair Moulds
Velveteen Elk Foundations Pack
Finnabair wax
Stazon Ink
Distress Oxide
Dylusions Ink Spray

'Be AmAzing' by Emma Zappone

Hello everyone, Em with you all today.
How good are these Mood Affirmation boards!! And it's great to be able to use the Lucky Findings 'Peiskos' range this month. I love the layers and depth that Kylie has created in this collection. And I LOVE that it has pushed me out of my comfort zone using colours I would never use or put together. Oh and I have a short video too 😉

Let's check out the Affirmation board too....

Look at all that richness!
 The colour in the flowers of the washi sheet included in this pack are what inspired the colour. they are a little brighter than in the board but it showcases another substrate in these packs. I chose acrylic paints from Art By Marlene and Dylusions to match. I also embraced my dear friend Tammy while creating this page, her use of colour and paint are amazing.
I have popped a full product list down below.

Come see it all be put together in my video here... 

I hope to see your creations this month using the amazing affirmation board. 🤗

Catch you all again soon, Em xx

Product List:

Dylusions - Black Marble &  Cherry Pie
Art By Marlene - Tobacco
Dina Wakley - Ruby
Tim Holtz Rub-Ons
White Gesso
Pilot Pintor - White
Art By Marlene - Quotes
Lucky Findings - Peiskos 
Art By Marlene - Art Journal 

‘Creating Myself’ by Emma Zappone plus Video

 Hello everyone, Em with you today.
Thanks for joining me on what is my first share of 2023 here at ScrappingClearly. I’m so very happy to be here for another year creating with beautiful products and hopefully inspiring you all a little. 

This weeks share is an Art Journal page. It’s far from perfect, elements I would of liked to have done differently, but that's the great thing about Art Journaling, it doesn't need to be perfect and allows growth. I created in the ABM Perfect size Journal.

 I have been cutting out images from old issues of my Frankie Magazines that inspire me, and thought this one was perfect to match this months mood affirmation board.
Please feel free to check out the process video for this page too. 

I love that the board has the Art Foundations packs incorporated. I used this Aliferous substrate on my pages. I cut circles out of it along with some book paper. 

I started with some Black Gesso, and a mix of acrylic paints in the greens featured in the board, these included Dylusions and Dina Wakley.

With the acrylics I used them through a couple of different stencils. The main one is a gorgeous Finnabair one that mimicked the lace effect that's also featured in the board.

My quote was created with alpha stamps and Liquitex black ink. I then went over them with a Pintor pen and acrylic white pen to make it bold. The quote suits the image, I love that she is reading a Psychology book, so this quote is to build self esteem. 

I added a little colour to the image using colour pencils.
Why not grab a cuppa and watch it all come to life, mistakes and all in the process video here...

Thanks for joining me today.
Catch you again soon.
Em xx

'Exotic Creature' - by Emma Zappone

 Hello friends, Emma with you today. And today I have an 8x8 layout created and inspired by this months moodboard. There is a YouTube video up for this page also you may like to enjoy.

And here is the fab mood/sketch that inspired the colours and textures of this project.

Here are also a couple of close ups of the project.

You can see it all come together in the video here...

I hope this has inspired you a little.
Catch you all again soon.
Emma xx

Product list:
49&Market Rubons
Tim Holtz layered Stencil
Distress Oxides
Tim Holtz worn wallpaper
Art by Marlene Acrylic paint
Dylusions Acrylic paint
Resin pieces

"Chill" with the May Moodsketch, by Amanda H

 Hello SC fans

Got a bit messy with this month's moodsketch! Channeled by inner purple and pinks!

Here are the link to the Scrapping Clearly products used to create the mixed media background:

• Dylusions paint
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Tim Holtz Distress Oxides Ink Pads
• Liquitex Inks

I followed this month's mood board:

Here is my final page......

Here are some of the steps to make that mixed media background.

I mixed some Periwinkle and Blackberry paints to get the right purple tone for the layout.

I swiped it to the white cardstock with a old store card.

I used Colour Blast Snow white paste to stencil some spots and stars to the layout.

I splatters some Liquitex ink to the page and blew the ink around with my little puffer!

Stenciled some extra stars with Distress Oxide, and painted some of the same ink colour to the page.

Painted and splattered some extra pink to the page too.

Page finished with: Diecut stars, stickers, bling dots!

Thanks for looking, hoping you go bright and join the challenge this month.

Amanda

'Somewhere over the Rainbow' TN Thursday - by Emma Zappone

 Hi there everyone.
Who would have thought I would enjoy creating the Travellers Notebook pages so much! 
Now I love the quick little art moments.
This one didn't quite go to plan, but I'm still loving the final feel.

I started with a Scrap FX tissue paper for my background. Applied it down to my pages with a gel Medium. Then I began to scrap some colour over sections of the pages with a mix of Dylusions and Art By Marlene paints. I did this very simply with a palette knife.

I added a little stencil work using an ABM So-fish-ticated stencil with light modeling paste.
You can see all the process in my video.
 

 
This weeks TN prompt is handwriting and it made me nervous. I was not sure how to add this element, so I decided to add some script along my scribbly border. It's messy but it added to the grungy vibe of the pages.

I hope this has inspired you to try this weeks prompt. We love seeing everyone's versions.

 Check out my video here....

Have a great creative week.
Stay crafty, stay safe.
Em xx

Energy Flows by Emma Zappone

 Hello SC fanatics!
Em with you today, and because it's Thursday I did a TN for my share.
This weeks prompt is Bubblewrap. I managed to dig around my room and find some.
A little video is available to watch this come together too.
Here are my Notebook pages....

Bubblewrap lended itself to play with more Art By Marlene. I used up some of the left over Bright & Bold paper I had used on my project last week and I couldn't wait to play with some of the rub-ons. 

I used a mix of paints by ABM and Dylusions to match the torn papers. 
And as I added the paint I smooshed the bubblewrap into it and then stamped the excess paint around the page. I added more stamping effects with the Bubblewrap using a couple of Distress Oxide Inks, which tied in great with paints.

On the pages a few ABM paper elements were added and so were some stickers.

For the quote page I added this amazing rub-on and a couple of little sticker words.

I hope you enjoy the little video and get some creative time soon.

Stay safe and stay crafty.

Em xx

 

Hold On Gorgeous - with Emma Zappone

Hi there.

The start of any project is an Art of it's own.
Some days we want to craft but the Art just doesn't come easy or we have a plan in our head and it doesn't translate onto paper. This has been me this week. But I persisted. How?

I decided to concentrate on creating something small, so as not to be overwhelmed. I grabbed out my 5x7 Art by Marlene journal and popped out a page ready.
This is my result...

It's far from perfect. But I guess that's the great thing about Art Journaling, everything you create in a journal IS ART. I knew that I wanted to continue playing with the brown tones featured in this months mood/sketch but I also thought I could incorporate the sketch along with it.
I grabbed an assortment of acrylic paints from Dina Wakley and Dylusions, (the colours don't exactly match the mood palette but it's close).

I started to block the colours together like the layers in the sketch. Again this concept seemed better in my head. But again I persisted.
I grabbed a few stamps, some for background work and some as the focal point. The focal point stamps are from the stunning Aall & Create Take Flight set and the background mainly consists of Tim Holtz Glitch1 set. Very textured.

Art Journal pages allow me to experiment and keep building layers with paint and stamping. As I stamped the background stamps I didn't want to cover the acrylic but just 'touch' it so as to have a flow on effect rather than a lets just stamp this here effect. To add to that continuity I doodled some small shapes in black & white to soften the feel.

For the main focal point, I stamped and fussy cut 'her' and the 'wings' out and played with the idea of colouring 'her' in. I decided to only colour 'her' wings as a contrast between 'her' and the background.
I coloured in with a Distress Marker. And then just added small highlights around 'her'. 

To finish it all off I flicked gold and white acrylic and added a quote that really spoke to me through out the making of this page and in most of my creativity.

I hope this simple journal page inspires you to just create, even if for a few minutes, and try what might be floating around in your mind. The final result may just surprise you :)

Stay safe  and stay crafty friends, Emma xx