BFFs with 13@rts

Hello 13@rts fans!

Today is Friday 13th, but not an unlucky day because I have a little photo tutorial for you. And because tomorrow is Valentine's Day, I created a layout all about a most beautiful kind of love. But before that, here are the step by step instructions.

Step 1

Mix gel medium with some distress glitter. Use it as a paste over a stencil on your background. My paper is from Olga Heldwein's fun and versatile Color Basics collection.

Step 2

I'm making lots of layers here with more papers from the same collection, some burlap cloth which I got very cheap from a wholesaler, and also tucking in some chipboards for movement.

Step 3

Alter the chipboards. Here I patted on modeling paste with a palette knife and sprinkled some microspheres and distress glitter on top. The 13@rts modeling paste is perfect for creating this texture as its foamy and creates very nice peaks.

Step 4

More chipboard altering. First a coat of blue metallic paint over the primed chipboard, then I used my finger to dab the primer all over for a distressed look.

Step 5

Now for the background. After the gel medium has dried, I dipped my paintbrush into some Ayeeda mists and painted over a stencil. It's ok if some of the mists get under the stencil. Just add a bit of water to let it run and it gives a beautiful watercolor effect. Vary the spots where you add water and amounts as well so that you get different shades for dimension.

Step 6

Adding splatters with Sky Blue pearl mist. Follow on with random stamping.

Step 7

Another piece of chipboard which I decided to add in much later. While the metallic blue paint was brushed on, the matte blue and matte turquoise were added by using my finger to dry brush. Then finish off by dry brushing with gesso using your finger.

Step 8

Drawing a border around my layout with black matte paint, metallic blue and gesso, all using the finger brushing technique.

And here is the finished layout of my eldest and his BFF - a little lamb.

Some close-ups:

I hope you like what I have shared today. Now I'm off to the cinema with some girlfriends to Fifty Shades of Grey, and I hope your weekend is as good as mine!