Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Chicks Dig Them - a process post

Happy Hump Day, crafty friends!

Today I'm bringing you a layout that I have created for my application for the design team over at My Creative Scrapbook. I took some photos throughout my scrapping process to share some common issues one may run into while scrapping, and just to explain my creative process. So, hunker down for a longer than normal post, and I hope you enjoy!

So one of my crafty goals in 2017 is to use more mixed media. Well, friends... there's an art to this mixed media, and this certainly isn't it. So, my first bit of advice is do not be afraid to DISCARD something that is totally not working for you. This attempt at using Heidi Swapp Color Shine didn't work for me, so I moved along.

DISCARD

I gathered the papers I thought I wanted to use according to my photos and subject (an Easter party/Spring). I also knew I wanted to use my new mixed media goodies.

GATHER

Next, since I'm new to the mixed media gig, I improvised with my "stencil" and used a piece of chipboard. Sometimes you just need to think outside the box and

IMPROVISE

I applied my texture paste with a makeup sponge (remember: improvise?). I used the shine bottles, unscrewed to apply some splatter. So far, what I've learned on my mixed media journey is, "less is more." You can always apply more (which you will see me do later), but you cannot take it off! Splatters are fun and may become a normal part of my process!

SPLATTER


Next, I played around with a glassine bag under my large photo. But then I realized it was just too big for the circle I had created. Another instance to discard. I picked a couple of the papers from my gather stage that I liked the best and I used a straight edge to help rip them to the correct size, something I feel gives a tiny bit of dimension. The green paper had blue dots that matched the circle well, as well as the grid lines on my background paper are green.

DIMENSION

Since I was layering the smaller photo atop the larger, I did want a clear element to separate the two, so I switched to a smaller glassine bag. I also added the colorful paper and fringed the bottom sticking out. It's good to use different textures or texturize your paper to give interest on your page.

TEXTURE

Since the glassine bag is a bit tranparent, and the layout is for a party we had for Easter, I decided colorful sequins inside the bag would be perfect! I made sure to use transparent, extra-sticky tape to close the bag and keep the sequins from spilling before adhering the flap with washi. This is perhaps my most important process of scrapbooking - adding the sparkle!

SPARKLE!

Next, I picked my embellishments. I stuck with the colors of the Shine splatters and used ephemera from a few different collections, as I just have my stash all bunched together (gasp!).

EMBELLISH

I pulled out all the letters I thought would possibly go well with my color scheme. I like to pull out a few options, as I may not have all the letters I need in each color. I was planning a long title, since I used the "awesome" ephemera, so I like to pick multiple alpha font stickers to mix and match for long titles.

TITLE

I placed my epehemera and stuck down all the bits. The best way to embellish includes a visual triangle, which I created with my flowers. I also like to layer, layer, layer. A good way to get your layers to pop is to use some pop up foam dots to adhere certain pieces. I have used them on the flowers here.

VISUAL TRIANGLE


Sometimes, when you get low on your favorite letters, you have to think outside the box & convert! Both boys' shirts say "Chicks Dig Me." No C to be found on the pink alpha sheet, but never fear! The G and the O easily convert to Cs.

CONVERT

I wanted small letters for the bit above teh awesome word, but the ones I had brought out were not small enough. Then I remembered these glorious turquoise glitter letters, which have clearly been well loved. I managed to squeeze another word out of them, which was perfect because they matched the glitter embellishment leaves. Whenever you can bring your title and embellishments together, do it! Extra points for the sparkle!

COHESION

Almost done & I decide the layout needs a bit more pink. I pull out these little tags to layer behind my photo and cross my fingers that I can control the pink Shine well enough to add just a touch at the bottom!

FINAL TOUCHES


The final splatters worked superbly & I adore the final product! I hope that explaining my process has perhaps inspired you!




Supplies:
All papers - Studio Calico
Turquoise alphas - Heidi Swapp
White Alphas - Studio Calico & Basic Grey
Pink Alphas - Studio Calico
Flower and leaf ephemera - Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper
Ampersand and Awesome - Bella Blvd
Texture paste & Shine splatter - Heidi Swapp
THANKS FOR LOOKING!




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