Welcome Crafty Friends to my first ever Turtle Soup blog post and mixed media photo tutorial! I hope that you find it informative and inspiring, feel free to interchange products; it is the techniques that are important here also make sure you check out the Scrapping Turtle shop for a great range of inks, paints, stencils and other mixed media products. Here is the final layout and the tutorial is to show a few techniques on how to create the background.
Now onto the tutorial!
For the August Mini Crop over on the Turtle Soup Forum I have a challenge for participants to use a poem on your layout. I chose my poem and decided to print it up (using different fonts and a piece of a4 white cardstock) on my computer and cut it into individual pieces. For the base cardstock I have used a smooth white thick cardstock so the paint glides on smoothly and the thickness of the paper will ensure that the layout does not warp. Once you have cut your poem into pieces put them aside (perhaps in a zip lock bag so you don't lose any pieces like I did the first time around)
As you can see from the second photo I have selected 4 different colours of paint, all acrylic paint. Colour selection is entirely up to you. Squirt lines of paint onto your cardstock. I also cut a wedge from a cardboard box to use as a large palette knife or scraper ( a cheap alternative ).
Using a small amount of pressure scrap the paint across your page, turn your scraper over and complete scraping the paint across the bottom of the layout to your satisfaction. I didn't go completely across the page and I didn't worry to much about it being perfect!!
Let the paint dry completely before completing next step! Grab your favourite stencil, I used a Crafters Workshop stencil which are stocked at the Scrapping Turtle shop. Lay your stencil on your layout where you want it. Using texture paste or modelling paste (not gesso) spoon some paste onto your stencil and spread with a palette knife or use an old credit card like I did. I like using the old credit card as you can get a smoother coverage.
Put aside to dry, while mine dried I used coloured markers to colour in parts of pieces of the poem and I gathered together all of the embellishments and papers I wanted to use.
Next step! grab your favourite 'texture stamp' I love using Kaisercraft Texture stamps as they have an awesome range and they are extremely affordable. I also used an archival ink - Versafine black but any archival ink will do. Stamp in desired area. I stamped around where I was planning for my photo to sit.
HOT TIP!! after inking up your stamp gently use a baby wipe to wipe the ink off around the edges of your stamp so when you stamp you won't get those pesky 'mistake' edges that sometimes appear when you apply to much ink to a stamp or if you apply to much pressure when stamping.
Wait to the ink dries and then piece your poem back together in desired position so that you can work out where your embellishments are going to fit in your design, As you can see from the photo below I added my secret to many layouts (plasterers/joiners tape which can be bought from hardware shops) it has a sticky back and looks like mesh and can be coloured by paints or inks etc. Awesome!!
Now fast forward a bit, as the tutorial was for just the background, after you have stuck down your desired embellishments, I will post a material's list at the end but please use whatever you like, visit the Scrapping Turtle Shop for supplies or dig into your stash for similar items.
And some close ups!! Poem by Dr Seuss. :-)
Well we've come to the end of the tutorial, I really hope you liked it and that you will try some of the techniques and branch out of your comfort zone even a little bit. Make sure you leave some love on the blog!
Materials:
Coredinations Cardstock
Lily Bee Paper
Hessian, Joiners Tape
Paint - Jo Sonja, Making Memories, Decoart
Cardboard, Jo Sonja Texture Paste
Kaisercraft Texture Stamp, Versafine Ink
Die cut black frame, Plastic Straws cut into small pieces.
D-Lish Scraps flowers, Unknown Origin of Flower Sprig
Maya Road Love Heart Clip, Colour Markers.
Handy Links
