TUTORIAL TUESDAY: Watercoloured background with Aimee Dow

Good Morning happy little cake folk! This is my first post here and I am super excited to get started. This month I have been working with the October main kit, and isn't she a beauty to behold.

Lot's of really great graphic prints in this one - it makes me so happy!

Anyway I am here today to teach you a very simple tutorial on watercolored backgrounds, but before we get started a small disclaimer. I don't do mess. I am not even kidding a little. I don't own watercolors. The paints Studio Calico keep sending me live in the shed, not my studio and things such as gesso have never EVER crossed my doorway. I tell you this because I want you to know how easy and clean this is. So without further ado, here is the finished layout.

For the base of this layout I used JcChris's Aztec Background cut into the white cardstock from this months kit and the following supplies:

Mr Heuy's mist in Ocean, Doris and Pretty Pink, a craft mat, brushes, low tack washi, water and a something to use as a palette (I use the container lid). 

Instructions:

1. Tape your cut file background down to your craft mat with your washi. Be careful not to put tape anywhere you wish to paint, but use enough tape to your layout is held taught. This reduces buckling in the paper later on.
2. With a clean wet brush go over the areas on your cardstock you wish to paint. This first coat of water helps to blend and bleed the ink later on.
3. Start with the lightest colour first - in my case the green. Dip your wet brush in to the ink and proceed to paint your cardstock where you see fit.
4. Wash your brush well before changing colour. Now you may start to apply your second colour. If you are looking for a mingled edge between colours simple go over the edges with a bit more water/watered down ink.
5. Clean your brush your brush and apply your 3rd colour. For me this was the blue. I found the blue ink to be a tad dark for my layout. To lighten an ink colour simply add some ink and a little water to your pallet and painting from there rather than straight from the bottle.
6. Once satisfied with your pattern, leave your mat and layout somewhere warm to dry.
7. Why your layout is dry very gently remove the washi tape and back your layout with your choice of paper. 
8. (Optional) You may choose to put your layout under heavy books if the layout has buckled, but in my case I wasn't too worried about.

Here is a picture of my painted background once finished. 

To complete my layout I backed it with the hexigon pebble paper from the current kit and layered up the stickers from the Shimelle Sticker book with a few pieces of the doodlebug vellum tucked in and around the struts. Finally a scattering of random embellishments for whimsy, a title and some journaling and I'm calling this one done!

I'll be seeing you again real soon.

Aimee xx

P.s.Any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. I'll get back to you with an answer.

MESSY MONDAY - Felicity Wilson: Love

Hello friends!
I am here today to share with a page I created with lots of sprays, wax crayons and water colour pencils.
 I love the stamp that came in the kit and started my page with that inspiration. I had no direction at all, other than stamping the image and then I wanted to use my wax crayons to colour a few circles in. I then wanted to created a shadow all the straight line to blend it in a little more.

I then sprayed some Heidi swap colour shine and splatters.
When I added the circles to the background, I used water colour pencil to soften the edges of the circles and to blend with my background.

Somehow I ended with a page that is bright and colourful.

NOT INCLUDED: flowers, gold bow,  butterflies

I hope you have a little experiment with some mediums.

DESIGNER INSPIRATION - Natalie May; Cards with the kit scraps

Hi everyone

Using the ample scraps I have left from my main kit, I decided to whip up a couple of quick cards.

Card 1 ... hello ....I love making easle cards. They are super simple and really very easy and most importantly they look really impressive. 

To make this card I cut some kraft to be 4x12. Then cut off a 4x4 piece .. this is my front. I then folded the remaining 8x4 in half then folded one side back on itself.

I added some of the gorgeous orange, pink and white stripe to the front then added a cameo cut, prima flower and some metallic and aqua washi to finish. On the inside you need to create an edge for the front to sit on so a couple of strips of paper and a cameo cut is perfect.

Card 2 .... wishing u loveUsing some black cardstock I folded it to create a gate fold …. 

One side is a little under four inches and the other is about two inches. This just makes this card look a little different. 

I used the gorgeous transparency and cut two pieces to size then stapled them to the black card. (I stapled under where my embellishments would be). 

Using a nail file I sanded off the words from the cork embellishment and added my sentiment using the thickers and studio calico alphas.


Card 3 .... thanksAnother simple card. 

White cardstock folded in half, one small paper at the top with the darker arrow paper at the bottom. 

I added a smaller piece of vellum over the top and wrapped the orange twine around a couple of times  before sticking the whole lot to the front of my card. Again I sanded off the white words as they just didnt suit, added the blue alphas and using foam tape added it to my card. A few of the super cute flower sequins finished it off nicely.

I hope you have found todays post inspiring and that it has provided you with ways to use up those kit scraps!

Lisa Pate - My Last Post

My last post!!!

It's been so very lovely to share in this space.  A huge thankyou to Raquel for the opportunity to work with such a wonderful team.  Ebony, Gina and Nat have been the my wonderful supportive and creatively inspiring girls to work with. It really has been a wonderful *gig*.

Now only my last share.

Guess what ? MORE PURPLE!  ha! and HELLLOOOO chalk board paint + sharpie.

So with all that said and done, just one extra thankyou ...... to all our readers, who pop in, leave a comment, or a message on FB.  ThANKYOU for taking the time to read and hopefully be inspired to create something beautiful.

Lisa

Designer Inspiration - Lisa Pate.

Hello Everyone,

Well it seems this week has come oh so fast.  It's my last week posting here, and it's a little bit sad but OH SO EXCITING when you see what Raquel is planning.  It's going to be fabulous.

I opened my last kit, and did lots of shuffling and smiling at all of the pretty.  Then realised purple would be the most wonderful colour to compliment it all.  I am not really a purple person.

That soon changed!!  How good is it to be stretched out of your *normal* and who doesn't love a smattering of sequins??? and a great white pen that writes on black perfectly?

So now I've made friends with purple ..... you might even see another purple layout from me this week.

Lisa

More Inspiration from Ebony

Hi again everyone!

I have another bright layout this time to share!

This time it's a photo I took at one of my son's soccer tournaments of all the different coloured boots of his team mates!!!

The colours in this kit worked perfectly!!

The Basic Grey Sticker sheet was the main feature of this layout , as most of this page is made up of elements on it including the frame, labels and triangles which were also meant to be photo corners.

I have added some masking with some modeling paste and some mists to add more colour to the layout before adding the kit contents.

I have also used from the kit some of the papers which I have cut into circles, the alphas , the washi tape and the sequins. The other items you see are from my own stash!

Happy creating, Eb xx

Designer Inspiration - Gina Rodgers - Escape..

Hi everyone, I'm sharing a page today using a couple of cool APOCD products along with some items from my stash.. Firstly I've created the background using gesso, mists and watercolour, then layered a few paper scraps on top. I've used a frame from the Insta-Lovin wood veneer set and stapled straight through to attach the photo..

I've also used a flair along with some messy thread and buttons... finishing off with a title and stamping..

Thanks for stopping by, wishing you a fun and creative weekend ahead!

Gina x

Designer Ins[piration - Lisa Pate

Happy Monday !!

I'm finally started to feel settled in my new home and have almost a totally functioning and pretty creative space.  Shame the internet is STILL not working!

It's lovely to have lots of creative work to keep me busy (and I am probably keeping up better without the distraction of internet surfing!)

If you read my previous post you would know I had a rather large disaster with all of my old scrapbooks.  Rather than be sad and upset, I am pulling the photo's off and creating new layouts with older photo's.  Totally LOVING scrapping my babies again.

Using the gorgeous June Kit, I created a messy, fun layout of my youngest babe when she was oh so very little.

I will admit I have a *thing* for cutting up and pulling apart just about everything in the kit(as you can see by the quote sticker) .  I loved using some inks over the top of the stencil to give a background that wasn't perfect.

Hope you all have a wonderful, creative week.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Lisa

Designer Inspiration - Gina Rodgers - Sweet Memories

Hi everyone, I'm sharing my last page created with the June main kit.. which is still available!

I wanted the beautiful heart shaped doily to pop against the kraft background so I coloured it with some aqua mist, then incorporated lots of bright colours using the papers and Chic Tags die-cuts..

I've added a little hand-written script in white pen, then stamping over the gesso, mist and ink background..

and I'll share a little tip for making the acetate die-cuts pop, scrape some white gesso on the back and let dry before sticking down..

have a great day!
Gina x