Always Be On the Lookout for the Presence of Wonder

 

The colors and the images of September’s Mood Board are a perfect match for this photo that my son took on Cape Cod a few weeks ago, capturing my grandson walking on the beach at sunset. Here is my layout:

And here is the Mood Board that inspired it:

This month’s twist is “vintage”, so I slightly softened the colors of the photo before printing out two copies. I think that the image itself is timeless, which adds to the feel of the theme.

I wanted to use a lot of thin strips to form my base, so I started by cutting an 8” x 8” square from the center of my paper and attaching the outside piece to a bit of packaging cut to size.

I carefully tore a strip from the top of another sheet, flipped it over, and glued it to the base.

I trimmed the paper to about 2” from the torn edge and glued this strip down as shown.

I repeated this step using several sheets of paper until the entire surface was covered. I used the 8” x 8” piece behind the photos, dividing it in half and placing the photos to cover the split. I also added a bit of green, using one of the LemonCraft sheets that came with the kit. I didn’t bother inking or matting the photos because I like the way they stand out with just the white borders showing.

Now to embellish! I started by draping some cheesecloth around the bottom of the photos, allowing it to flow, capturing the feel of the waves. I added a few stones that I had taken from the Cape several years ago and filled some more of the space with flowers from the October 2019 kit.

And then I put it aside. I had plans to visit the Cape myself (my brother and sister-in-law are wonderful hosts!) and I was hoping that the weather would allow me to collect some sand from the Nauset Beach in the picture. It did look a little iffy – Hurricane Larry, now downgraded to a tropical storm, decided to pay a visit and Thursday was a day of torrential rain. Friday dawned clear and sunny, and we all went to several of the Cape’s beautiful beaches on Friday and yes, I managed to scoop up some Nauset sand, here applied with the help of some gel medium…

 ***************************************************

 *****Supplies*****

***Très Jolie September Kit***

Paper Heaven – Beyond the Mist Collection – 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper – Sheet 1

Paper Heaven – Beyond the Mist Collection – 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper – Sheet 2

Paper Heaven – Beyond the Mist Collection – 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper – Sheet 3

Lemon Craft – A4 Basic Paper Pad – Double Sided Papers #Leaves 01

***Other***

Prima – Pretty Pale Collection – Dry Desert # 637583

Cheesecloth

Tim Holtz – Idea-Ology – Stickers – Small Talk #TH93193

Stones

Sand

Beacon – Fabri Tac

***Mediums***

Ranger Ink – Distress Ink Pad – Mini – Milled Lavender

Liquitex – Gel Medium - Matte

 ***************************************************

As always, I want to thank you for peeking into my blog; your visits mean a lot to me.

Don’t forget that Tres Jolie can be found in the following places:

Facebook: 

Instagram: 

Tres Jolie website: 

Tres Jolie subscriptions: 

Tres Jolie blog:

Tres Jolie YouTube: 

Pinterest

 

Saturday Morning Down the Shore

 

There seems to be a bit of a beach theme in my last few postings. Pure coincidence: the materials that I’ve been working with have been perfect for the images that I’ve used. This layout, however, is different. The AB Studio Diva collection, full of pinks, purples and grays and bold patterns, cries out for equally bold and dramatic images to match. However, this photo of my grandsons has been on the top of my “must do” pile since June and I wanted to find a way to use it. I think that the “B” side of this sheet, with the distressed stone pattern in the center, fits perfectly.

 

 I’ve based this on the August sketch from Très Jolie. I like the way it features layers on layers and details such as the shapes of the chipboard embellishments that came in the kit.

I started with those chipboard pieces, coating them with black gesso and them treating them with embossing powder.

Next, I prepared my tags. First, I cut one from the “Desire” sheet (it’s filled with a nice variety of tags and flowers and clocks), punched out the hole and inked the edges. I created two more tags from stripped USPS packaging and fastened jute string to all the tops.

I created the layers under the photo with the tags and two stitched frames from the June kit. Next, I attached the chipboard keys and chains and added the flowers.

I finished my page with shells and a piece of Flair from my stash.

And that was it: a quick and easy layout featuring a lazy Saturday morning down the Jersey Shore.

A few closeups:

One of the chipboard pieces, coated with black gesso, then heat embossed with Ranger Cement embossing powder...

 Seashells and flair...

 Layering with frames and tags...

 Another chipboard key...

 Chipboard chains and dangling shells...

***************************************************

 *****Supplies*****

 ***Très Jolie August Kit***

AB Studio – Diva Collection – 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper – Sheet No. 1 – Real DIVA

AB Studio – Diva Collection – 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper – Sheet No. 7 – Desire

Prima – Capri Collection – Flower Embellishments – Naples Shore #647049

Dusty Attic – Laser Cut Chipboard – Ornate Pendants 1 #DA1359

Scrapaholics – Laser Cut Chipboard – Skeleton Keys

 ***Other***

49 and Market – Vintage Artistry Natural Collection – Stitched Frames – 6 Pcs #VAC-32181

May Arts – Jute Burlap String – Natural #SM-10

Creative Embellishments – Flair – By the Sea

Seashells

Packaging

 ***Mediums***

Ranger Ink – Tim Holtz – Distress Ink Pad – Mini – Hickory Smoke #TDP47339

Liquitex Professional – Black Colored Gesso #5320251

Piccolo – Enamel & Embossing Powder Adhesive

Ranger Ink – Antiquities Embossing Powder – Cement #EAJ00396

 ***Tools***

We R Memory Keepers – Crop-A-Dile – Big Bite

***************************************************

As always, I want to thank you for peeking into my blog; your visits mean a lot to me.