XOXO Photo Stories / Shimmerz Paints

Happy Monday, friends!  The last Monday of the decade...wow!  I'm here today with a new layout for Shimmerz Paints featuring a whole bunch of Shimmerz goodness :)  I based my color scheme on the colors from the Cocoa Vanilla Unforgettable collection.  I wanted to enhance all those pretty flowers and also pull in some of the grey and black elements.

I started with smooth white cardstock as my base.  I used a brayer to apply some black acrylic paint onto the background.  Once that dried, I scraped on some white gesso in all the places where I planned to add Shimmerz.

I used the following Shimmerz:

• Coloringz--Well Blue Me Down, Oh Say Can U Sea, Peachy Keen
• Shimmerz--Pip Pip Cherry-O, It's Mint to Be
• Inklingz--Plum Crazy, Miner Miner 49er
• Vibez--Mango Tango, Sweetheart, Deep Blue Sea
• Spritz--Cotton Candy
• Creameez--Trippin' in the Tropics

I very carefully started adding color by spraying it or painting it with a brush in separate areas.  Here in this area I used the Plum Crazy and Pip Pip Cherry-O.  They blend well together, but I wanted them to be a little bit separate.  They match this collection perfectly, and the embellishments I added coordinated so well.  Here I used some die cuts and clear stickers.  Since there is a bit of peachy orange in the collection, I tucked in some orange thread here for added color & texture.

I hadn't played with a lot of black in a while, so this made things interesting.  I love how the Miner Miner 49er shines right off the black!  So pretty.  The blue here is Deep Blue Sea.  I added some patterned papers behind my photo to create some layering.

For this area, I mixed O Say Can U Sea, Well Blue Me Down & It's Mint to Be.  This is where the bulk of the embellishing is...lots of beautiful floral die cuts and stickers, some clear leaf stickers, some word stickers.  I also fussy cut this "photo stories" piece from a sticker and popped it up using adhesive foam.

Aren't these colors just delicious?  As soon as I pulled this collection out I knew exactly what Shimmerz colors would match perfectly.

Here is a mix of Peachy Keen and Mango Tango.  Also a hint of Sweetheart.

This purple butterfly matched Plum Crazy so well.  The Inkingz have such a gorgeous shimmery finish.

The only thing that isn't from Cocoa Vanilla here is the XOXO.  Those are some older Thickers from my hoarded stash :)  I angled my journaling under the title here using a black Sharpie.

I had a lot of fun getting messy making this layout!  I hope it inspires you in some way.  How often do you use black on your background?  I love how this turned out.  Be sure to check HERE for the process video.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and HAPPY 2020!!

Love / Hip Kit Club

Hey there, friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!  I wanted to share my newest layout for Hip Kit Club today.  This is my first page using the 2019 December Hip Kits.  I had to fussy cut this gorgeous wreath as soon as I saw it.  It's from Pretty Little Studio, and the colors & details are so beautiful.  I used a sheet of the Coastal cardstock as the background, and I added some of the Lindy's Magical Powders to create some pretty watercolor effects.

Fussy cutting is a great way to create dimension.  Leaves and flowers are my favorite because it just brings them to life.  I did have to use a craft knife to carve out some of the inner pieces, and I just love the results.  I used a few of the exclusive Pocket Life cards as layers behind my photo.

I added in some extra flowers and leaf sprigs from the exclusive die cut pack.  There are a zillion pieces in there!  I just kept adding and tucking here and there...so perfect for this wreath.

Here are more of the die cut bits.  I went very simple with the title...I used one of the soft metallic copper Thicker words.  I also tucked in some colored thread in a few places for added texture and color.

To create the background, I first used white gesso.  I used my fingers to smudge a giant gesso circle behind the wreath.  My fingers are the best tool to use to create that hazy cloudy edge.  Once it dried, I used the Lindy's Powders from the Color Kit...Andrea's Azalea and Jana's Jade.  I wet my brush and gently dipped it into the powder.  I added a few layers of color around the circle.  I also used a few gelatos from my stash to smudge in a few darker areas.

I love how these colors really enhance the colors in the wreath.  I didn't want to make the background too dark.  I want the background to compliment the wreath and not compete or take away from it.  I did add some adhesive foam under the wreath to pop it off the page.

I also splattered some of the Jen Hadfield Gold Glitter Spray from the November Kits for some extra shine.

 

I hope this inspires you in some way!  I had a lot of fun making it.  The wreath pretty much made the design for me.  There is a process video up over on the Hip Kit Channel if you're interested :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Make it Merry / Paige Evans DT

Hey, friends!  Happy Friday!  I'm here today with a fun and festive Christmas layout for the Paige Evans Design Team featuring Paige’s Truly Grateful collection.  As soon as I saw her Lightstrand Border Cut File I knew I had to use it for a holiday page.  I cut the lights on textured white cardstock and backed them using several papers from Truly Grateful.  I love that this cut file gives you the opportunity to create a rainbow color scheme!  I wanted to create a mixed media background on smooth white cardstock, so I used several shades of green Shimmerz sprays to give the illusion of a tree.

I coated most of the background with clear gesso first and then added the sprays.  The bright lights just pop right off the page against the greens.  To create dimension, I added adhesive foam behind all the lights.  I used a few birds from the Truly Grateful Stickers and Ephemera Die Cuts in a few places.  They just give such a great Christmas vibe!

I added lots of leaves and flowers from the Truly Grateful Floral Die Cuts to create a little cluster on the right side of the page.  I also fussy cut a few flowers from the 6x8 Paper Pad and Paper 02.  I mixed and matched my title using some of the Truly Grateful Thickers and the Pick-Me-Up Mini Thickers.   I love how colorful the title turned out.

I couldn’t resist using this “Be a Light” piece from the Ephemera Die Cuts.  This page is all about the lights, so it was perfect.  I tucked in a few more flowers here under the photo for a few more pops of color and detail.   Lastly, I tucked in some coordinating colors of tangled thread and sprinkled some Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine around the page.

I went light on the embellishing since the background and lights created such a fun design element.  I didn't want to add too much more to make it too crowded.  Sometimes less is more :)

I never would look at this collection and think of Christmas, but it's actually great for just that!  I love using ALL the colors, and these lights give you the perfect opportunity to make a rainbow-themed Christmas page.  No colors are off limits :)  I used a gold metallic pen for my journaling to add a bit more shine.

A few more close-ups of all the colors, textures, details and dimension :)

I hope this inspires you to create a Christmas or holiday layout using products not designed for that.  It's always a fun challenge to use a collection in a surprising way. 

I'm still waiting for my YouTube channel to be fixed....grrrrrr.  Google is in no hurry.  I'm trying to be patient, but good grief!  I'll keep you posted :)

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you soon!