Oh Winter, yes you have arrived. I swear, walking the four to six blocks to school is enough to make me turn back to my car and drive back home. A zero degree crisp leads one's legs to feel num after only a block or so. If I could extend the jacket over my ankles, I would and I really don't care if it would make me look like a legless woman. I can't bare the cold my friends and this is especially the case when having to walk long distances in the stuff. So, it's true, Winter is officially upon us (for us folks in Minnesota anyway) - which leads me to this next note...
Stripes. Love'em or hate'em, it's still a classic pattern you can't go wrong in meddling with. I recently came across a brightly striped rug in one of my savory home decor magazines and thought to myself, "I'd love to see that on a layout!" Well, some five days later, I was still thinking about them stripes. As I sat down to create this note, I finally implemented them, but not in any sort of traditional sense of course. Instead of simply chopping up printed striped paper and adhering it down (too easy!), I made my own stripes and popped a few forward with pop dots for added impact. Here's how it all went down:
Now, the best way to take on this technique is to utilize your scrap stash. Being that I'm ultra-picky about combining patterns, I felt entirely ok about digging into my 12" x 12" pattern paper collection for this. Whatever route you decide to go, be aware that very little paper is needed in producing a striped effect on a small size project like this.
To begin, search your stash for a neutral ledger journal card that you think might be well suited for framing thin strips of various pattern paper styles. The key here is to keep the background neutral! Since we're working with patterns galore, a nice neutral background will make mixing and layering the patterns easier. The stripes will also "pop" off the card more noticeably. My chosen journal card is torn from Jenni Bowlin's Red Memo Book.
Once you have an assortment of papers and a background card chosen, select a color and stripe width you think would best fit the important role of "First Stripe". This stripe will sit at the bottom and be first in line, so choose carefully! Trim the stripe to size and lay it down on top your card.
Now find a second stripe to accommodate the first. Trim it to size and again, lay it on top your card. Continue on with this process until your card is 3/4's covered with stripes:
Adhere them in place with either wet adhesive (a tape runner won't do you any favors in this type of situation - use Quick Dry adhesive or a treasured, solid working wet adhesive instead!!) or pop-dots. Ensure that at least two or three sit on pop-dots. Leave enough room for a small size photo placement. Note the location of my photo - it sits between two "popped" stripes:
This should be your final product (above). Note: Slim sections of the background card should peek through - consider the card's design elements when designing your stripes! Think about the parts of the card you'd like covered and which of those you don't want covered.
Another little hint here is to not be afraid to over tuck or under tuck your strips of paper while building your striping. Overlapping often gives perspective and insists upon a peek-a-boo effect that I love a great deal! It's also the most effective means in creating barely noticeable thin lines. It's something I do on all my projects with the intent of making my life easier...thin scraps of paper can be a real challenge to deal with. Go big and take advantage of the "tuck" technique!
So, now the background is all taken care of, jump into embellishing. Because the striped background is already pretty busy, I recommend sticking with large size embellishments. I'll admit, I experimented quite a bit with small embellishments and quickly realized that they just weren't going to work. What ended up working was a large size modern Christmas Tree sticker from We R Memory Keepers (Merry & Bright), a petite layered snowflake and a vintage bingo card number (hand-trimmed from a vintage bingo card). I further enhanced the tree with 3-D Scribble Paint (JoAnns or Michaels). Give the paint at least twelve hours to dry!! Boy, did I learn my lesson here..laugh. Finally, add a title to the bottom of the card.
Embellishments: Tree {We R Memory Keepers}, Snowflake {MLYB}, Cream Flower {SEI}, Brad {Sassafras}, Alpha Stickers {Doodlebug}, "Let it Snow" Sticker {October Afternoon}
A final take on the card, including detailed images:
Someone commented about having this project available as a kit..I wish I could realistically provide this project as a kit, but could you fathom the product load this would have to include? Talk about what an amazing kit it would be..I'd probably be the first in line to buy it!! Laugh. Maybe next year I'll recreate the wreath in "kit form"? Something to think about..or how about a class? Christmas in July would be an option. I'll have to brainstorm an idea or two for you. Thanks to the person whom mentioned the topic! Appreciate your feedback :)
One last mention - I've been informed that Elle's Studio is now available in digital format at "Jessica Sprague.com"! A handful of items from the wreath are of Elle's designs, including these. If wanting to skip out on the shipping bit and feel confident in printing your own embellishments, go digital! I regularly print out my own stuff as it's super economical and saves me lots and lots of time!! And lord knows I don't have much of it these days....
Thanks for keeping track of this latest project you guys! I'll return with a brand new set of cards after the weekend is over - I plan to scrap most the weekend (evenings at least)..we'll see what I'm capable of outputting in the two days. Should be interesting...Have a great weekend everyone!
