I wish I could recall what inspired the colors for this layout..it may have been a decor ad, but I'm almost 99% certain that the source is that of the ever popular Pinterest. Can't say that I'm there as frequently as I once was - but when I do visit the place, I tag at least a couple of items and stash them away for future reference. This color combo was probably spotted from something I pegged earlier on. In any case, it's most likely my favorite color combo to present itself 'til now; Rich reds, soft pinks, hints of violet, lively gold and the dark, omnipresent luxe brown. Throw in a little black for contrast, and all is well. Reminds me of wood paneling, but deeper and richer than that used during the 1970's & 80's..could still see someone getting away with using it as a backdrop for a library or hip, modern living room, especially with colors like this!
Reinventing the wheel in terms of layout design and embellishments is an almost impossible feat these days. Though an idea did find me while reading Sarah Bellemare's new book, Painted Edges. From one of the photo's inside the book, I noticed an image of stencils covered beneath layers of paint. The site of them stencils got me thinking about creating stencils from simple punched images like that of various sized circles. Lord knows I have plenty of circle punches laying around. So, I took to the idea with an open mind and what you see above, is the outcome. That being said, I thought maybe you might be interested in finding out more about the technique.It's terribly simple, but still rather worth trying if you're ever in the mood to play with paints.
I some how want to further my experience in the layering of transparent elements. That's another reason why I tried out this simple idea. Next time, I'm going to thin down my paint some more or try it with a lighter medium, like watered down ink.
First, punch various size circles from scrapbook paper. Trim the negative shapes from their locations, while leaving space around them for excess paint. You've now a few self-made, basic stencils.
With just a slight amount of paint on your brush, tap paint over the stencil in various locations on your layout. Give the paint five minutes to dry. Then follow up with a small size circle stencil and go about painting additional circles with a different color paint. Continue with this process until you are happy with the end result.
I adorned each of the circles with glittery cabochons. You're welcome to leave them as is or dress them up with other types of accessories. I could easily picture this being really cute with buttons too. Or how about large size circles with butterflies, large stamped images, vellum cuts, transparency designs, etc. Lot's of possibilities!
Speaking of a paint, Tara Anderson suggested I try "spray paint" at some point and so I did, but let me forewarn you, it's not a forgiving medium in terms of clean-up! Laugh. It also takes a little bit longer to dry than acrylic paint. The overall effect though is ten times better than acrylic...you just have to know how to use it! It's awesome stuff! {Minus the Smell}
These adorable transparency word stickers from Heidi Grace (Jo Ann Fabrics) are so much better than I expected!! They literally look like dyed scotch tape...another idea on my plate that I want to work with more in the near future!
Bees + Glasses = what exactly? Well, I'm not sure..but it's one of my favorite details from the layout! The Bee is Pink Paislee and the glasses are Hambly.
I've been looking for the perfect excuse to use these Sassafras PoP-Up Florals. I hope they make more of them because they take the hassle out of combining one's own unique array of flowers. Don't always have time to put out a floral display like this one - they're gorgeous!
I took a KI Memories lace paper section and made use of one of it's flowers as a base for a larger sized, heavily layered flower. I tucked both beneath and on top the cut area differing pieces - the large kraft/white flower being October Afternoon and the pink polka-dot circle of The Girls Paperie {Stickers}.
This is a great font, isn't it? Basic Grey knows just the right style of fonts to release and they always end up working wonderfully on layouts. The cursive alphas belong to them, while the "S" is a hand-trimmed alpha from Cosmo Cricket's "Manhattan" pattern paper.
Also, you might have noticed the overlapping strips of paper along the bottom that override most the layout. Before positioning them, I adhered each strip to an Elle's Studio"Detail" card, hence the black mini scallops! Cute, eh?
And so goes another layout...And yes, that would be Ethan holding an SLR, but the old model, not the new one! Laugh. That photo ended up being a lucky shot and I grabbed it right after purchasing the D60. Love the photo. Funny how often it is that our favorite photos are those that happen by chance - I should get in the habit of simply pressing the shutter button without thinking ahead. :)
~CM~
