Saturday, August 29, 2020

Mixed Media Flowers / Sweet Smiles / Shimmerz



Happy Weekend, friends!  I'm here today with a new mixed media layout for Shimmerz Paints featuring lots of gorgeous Inklingz.  I wanted to create a layout "from scratch," which means I use only white cardstock and Shimmerz.  I chose colors that either I hadn't used in a while or never used at all.  I first created the flowers using the Sizzix Peony Pop Up Die.  (Shout out to fellow DT member Jennifer McMurtrey for inspiring me!) I coated a sheet of textured cardstock with gesso, let it dry, and then cut the flowers using my manual die cutting machine.  I used the Inklingz to paint them, and then used the same colors to create the background.

Shimmerz Used:
***Good news...you can get ALL of these colors and even more Inklingz and Creameez for 25% OFF through tomorrow, Sunday August 30th!  Use Promo Code PAINTZ25 at check out!  Yayyyyy!***

I used a few layers of these colors on the flowers, and I also  mixed a few together.  The fun part about Gosh Garnet & Blue My Mind is there is gold powder mixed in, so when those colors dry, you get the actual color plus a gold sheen.  You'll see that even better close up if you keep scrolling :)


I used thick smooth white cardstock for the background, and I also coated that with clear gesso first.  I mainly used Imperial Amethyst & Precious Posey to create that pretty purple color wash.  I did add splatters of all the other colors as well.  Once that dried, I arranged the flowers around my photo.  I added adhesive foam behind the centers of the all the flowers and bent up all the petals.


The Imperial Amethyst is so dark and pretty...it's a very rich color.


I used mostly Blue Lagoon on this one with a touch of Imperial Amethyst.


Here's a great shot of the gold shimmer in Gosh Garnet.  When it hits the light...watch out!  I show all these colors in motion in my video, so you can really see the shimmer factor :)


I added some tissue paper and adhesive foam behind my photo to give it some height.  I also tucked in some matching thread in a few places for more pops of color & texture.


To add detail to the middle of the flowers and around them, I used the Essentials Jewels Mix from Pinkfresh Studio.  They are amazing little shimmery rhinestones that add the perfect touch.  The gold stickers are from an older MAMBI sticker book I got at Michael's a few years ago.


Here's Blue My Mind...look at that gold shimmer!  It's magic!




More close ups...because I took so many.  I couldn't stop photographing all the shimmer in the light!




I went short and simple with the title.  I used an Amy Tangerine Thicker and paired it with another MAMBI sticker.  I also used a few Shimmerz Dotz, which are also available in the store.  The gold glitter heart are also from Amy Tangerine.




Yes, more close ups :)


Squeal for gold! <3


I am so excited about how this turned out!  Nothing makes me happier than turning a sheet of white cardstock in something beautiful.  Thank you to Shimmerz for making that possible :)

Don't forget about the sale this weekend...you know you want some of these gorgeous colors :)

Be sure to check out my process video here for many more details!


Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!


Thursday, August 27, 2020

Hello Gimme a Kiss / Hip Kit Club

Hey, friends!  I'm back with a new layout for Hip Kit Club featuring the new 2020 August Hip Kits.  They are so fun and full of exclusive goodies!  I made this using one of the exclusive cut files as well, and I manipulated it to fit what I wanted.  It's part of a "Hello Summer" cut file, but I just took the Hello, duplicated it in a few sizes and welded it together so it was one big piece.  I cut it on white cardstock and then again on patterned paper.  I used the patterned paper as a shadow layer under the cardstock.

I used a sheet of the gorgeous blue Serenity cardstock as the background, and I did a lot of mixed media blending to create all that blue behind the cut file.  I combined the blue Hydrangea Petals ink pad from the Color Kit and mixed in a lot of the Midnight Blue Nuvo Crystal Drops.  I also used a few ink pads and sprays from previous kits.


I tucked in my three photos around the cut file and embellished around them.  I used a lot of the exclusive die cuts here.  I also fussy cut a few from an exclusive patterned paper.  I layered some white tissue paper behind the photo as well as some adhesive foam for added dimension.


I added some gesso to the white cut file here and then used some ink pads from previous kits to add a bit of color to the bottom.  I used a wet brush to blend the color.  I didn't want it to be stark white, so this helps to give a bit of interest.  I offset it on the second cut file and glued them together.  I also popped that whole thing off the page and embellished around it.  I used a puffy sticker here as well as a few Simple Stories phrase stickers.


I spent a lot of time on the background.  I used white gesso first.  I used the blue ink pad with a bit of water to start off.  It dried a bit lighter, so I kept adding layers.  I brought in some blue Lindy's sprays from an older kit, and I liked it better.  I finally tried the Nuvo Crystal Drops and it was just what it needed!  I squirted some onto the page and used a palette knife to scrape it on, and it worked perfectly.  This blue color is gorgeous.


I created a smaller title down at the bottom using some of the exclusive mini alphas.  You can see in the photos that this is exactly what's happening...haha :D  I traced around them using a white pen to make them a bit more visible, and I popped up a few more Simple Stories stickers below that.




I love how this shadowing looks!  Thank you, adhesive foam :)


Here are a lot more close-ups :)


The last thing I did was splatter some white acrylic paint.  I love how that always looks on darker cardstock.






I really love the August Kits...and I hope this inspires you in some way.  I had a lot of fun making this one!

Be sure to check out my process video here:



Thanks for stopping in, and have a great day!


Monday, August 24, 2020

These Days Are My Favorite / Pinkfresh Studio

Happy Monday, lovely friends :)  I have a new layout to share for Pinkfresh Studio today.  I used the Celebrate collection and lots of watercolor goodness!  I started this page by fussy cutting this wreath from a patterned paper.  It took a while since it's so detailed, but the end result was worth it.  I decided to arrange it differently instead of the circle design.  I cut it in half and ran the two pieces off the page.  This gave me a few spots to tuck in my photo.

I used thick smooth white cardstock for the background.  I coated it with clear gesso first and then used the Liquid Watercolors.  I mixed the Bubblegum, Candy Apple, Lavender and even Espresso (YES, BROWN!) to get that beautiful pink color.  The brown was what made the color so perfect.  I love how it turned out!


This wreath did all the work for this page...just look ho pretty it is.  I popped it up with adhesive foam to give it some height.  I wanted to add in a few more pops of black since my photo is black and white.  I used a few stamps from the Embroidered Blossoms Stamp Set.  I stamped a small flower right onto the background and then stamped these cute leaf sprigs on some white cardstock.  I used the matching Die Set to cut them out.


I tucked in a bit of green thread in a few places for some more texture.  I also used some of the Essentials Jewels Mix and Essential Crystals Mix.  The difference is the Jewels are flat on top and have more of an iridescent shine, whereas the Crystals have a pointed tip and are clear.  Both are flat on the bottom, so they're easy to add to any project.  They are so pretty!!  I used the light brown ones on the background and some of the pink color on top of the flowers.


 
I wish I could paint flowers like this!  So gorgeous.


I added a bit of subtle stamping to the background as well.  I used the Diamond Tiles stamp with the Coral Reef ink to do this.  I used the white puffy alphas from the My Favorite Story collection to create the separated title.  I like how it tucked nicely into the leaves.


I also used a few of the chipboard circle stickers from My Favorite Story.


I used another big flower here behind the photo as well as a black & white flower die cut from Celebrate.




See how pretty these jewels & crystals are?  <3 p="">

I hope this inspires you in some way today.  I really loved how it came together, and it was so fun mixing the watercolors to get this perfectly matching color!  Today's lesson is don't be afraid to add brown to your pinks...it makes a gorgeous shade! 

Be sure to check out my process video for all the details:



Thanks for stopping in today!  See you soon :)

Friday, August 21, 2020

Grateful / Paige Evans DT

Happy Friday, friends!  I'm back today with a new layout for the Paige Evans Design Team using Paige’s Bloom Street and Truly Grateful collections. I love mixing & matching different products and I combined papers and embellishments from both lines to create a bright summer layout. I wanted to focus on a paper I haven’t used yet, so I started with the scallops from Bloom Street Paper 01. I designed my layout around those. I also used Paige’s Wonky Hearts Stencil to create some background texture with modeling paste. I used a mix of Distress Oxides and Shimmerz to create a fun watercolor effect over the paste.


I love the fun texture this Wonky Hearts Stencil creates! I decided to go with orange tones first to accent the pink scallops. I also wanted to use the Grateful piece as my title from the Truly Grateful Epoxy Stickers as my title. I wanted more of that color. Later, I decided to add in blue to mimic the water in the photo. I machine stitched through the scallops with blue thread and then popped them up with adhesive foam. I created a cascade of words and phrases here with the title, a Truly Grateful Journaling Spot piece, and a few Bloom Street Cardstock Stickers.


To make the “grateful” title stand out a bit more, I layered white cardstock behind it and then fussy cut around it. I also tucked in some blue thread for an extra pop of color and texture.  I popped up all of these die cuts & stickers with adhesive foam to create some dimension.  Plus it makes it easier to glue down on top of all that paste texture :)


I don't know what made me want to use orange with these scallops.  When I tested the "grateful" sticker over it, I just loved the color combo, so I went with it.  Looking at the finished layout, I think it was the perfect choice :)


What started out as a "let's do an all pink shades layout" quickly turned into something else...haha.  It's rare that I stick to a monochromatic idea.  I can't help it...I just love mixing and matching colors, especially when it will enhance the colors in my photo.


I fussy cut a few pink flowers from Bloom Street Paper 12 to tuck in around the photo. These cute butterflies matched my color scheme perfectly, so I popped the wings up to give them dimension. They are both from the Bloom Street Cardstock Stickers. I decided to add gold splatters along the way as well.


I used a gold metallic pen to write my journaling.  Since I used this gold sticker, I wanted to spread a little more gold around the page.


I love layering like this.  This is where the adhesive foam comes into play.  You can see here how it creates some height and really shows off the effect of the layered flowers.


I layered a few pieces of patterned paper behind the photos as well as white tissue paper. I wanted a sun above the photo so I used another Bloom Street Cardstock Sticker. I also used a sun stamp from the Bloom Street Acrylic Stamps to create a bit more background interest behind the sun. I used Distress Oxides and then used a water brush to help blend the color a bit. I also trimmed the outer edge of a gold Bloom Street sticker to layer around the edges of the photo.


Here are a few more angles of all the fun details :)




This was a lot of fun to make :)  Mixing and matching collections is a lot of fun, and you can come up with such different ways to use them together.  I hope it inspires you in some way :)

Here's my process video if you'd like to watch it come together:



Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend!