Tando Creative May Challenge

Hi all

I am sharing a new mixed media layout today. I am entering this one into the Tando Creative May Challenge.  www.tando-creative.blogspot.co.uk

  

I used the Harlequin and sequin waste masks on this project. I wanted a very textured layout that reminded me of all the things found when the tide goes out. Like the little crabs and limpets stuck to the rocks. 

These cute place markers are from the Happy Scatter Etsy shop, i love them and i want more.

I really do love being on the beach its so peaceful and the salty water and fresh air is invigorating.

I experimented with texture by adding seed beads to the page. I was trying to recreate the rough rocks you find when the tide goes out.

                       
                      And here are some beach photos to keep you going until the next holiday. I can still                             smell the salty air, i think i miss it already.

This is Weymouth which i have just come back from, i love this beach with its fine sand and shallow water.

 This one is Bognor regis while stunning to photograph its not so kind on the feet

Exmouth is one of our regular destinations its strange because the sand is light and fine here but less then a mile up the road the sand is a red colour, The red sand gives the place a surreal feeling and i love it.

Thank you for visiting and i will be back with more photos and projects soon

My First Scrapbook Feature with Trimcraft

I have some news to share xx

My first scrapbooking tutorial has been published on the Trimcraft website. You can see it by visiting

http://www.trimcraft.co.uk/articles/how-to-scrapbook-introduction-with-basic-layering-and-embellishments-tutorial

I will be publishing a different tutorial once a month and will be covering different techniques and inspiration on scrapbooking. For the step by step guide please follow the above link. Bellow are some money saving tips for beginners.

When looking at purchasing die cutters, i always go for things that i can adapt to use on several projects. Nesting dies are great for saving time when cutting out shapes and also means you do not need to cut them out by hand which with me usually ends up wonky. I buy alphabet dies because in the long run you save money, as the alphabet stickers eventually run out of vowels to use. You can make your stickers last a bit longer by mixing up the different sticker sets.

If a 12x12 page is too daunting you can always try 8x8 or A4 pages and build up. A lot of the paper craft ranges come in multiple sizes and the smaller pads are cheaper.

The shells are made by pressing white clay into a silicone mould and left to air dry. these can then be painted if needed.

If you don't want to purchase a lot of embellishments then you could always look at recycling packaging to use on your pages. You can always take ribbons off of gift boxes or labels off clothing.

Thank you for looking and if you have any ideas or feedback please leave me a comment. I will be back in April covering the basics of mixed media.

The Memory Nest Make it Monday 28

Hi today i have a new sketch for you and i am also introducing an exciting new rang from Trimcraft. This is the Sail Away paper pad from our First Edition Range. I just love all the seaside images and nautical patterns which are perfect for all of those holiday photos. These pads come with different textured papers. My layout below  was created using one of the canvas style textures. These are brilliant at holding inks and paints. if you would like to play along with the sketch challenge then please link up your projects at www.thememorynest.blogspot.co.uk.

There are no rules with mixed media, its up to you what textures and colors you want to add to your layouts. i stuck with blue tones with the odd contrasting color in order to blend in with the overall color theme of the papers.

I started this project off by painting a large area of the page in gesso and leaving it to dry. I then  used a boarder stencil across the page and rubbed over it with ink using a make up sponge. I mixed a bit of turquoise powdered Blusido ink into modeling paste and smothered it over a stencil mask using an old plastic card. Be careful when using this kind of medium as it stains where it touches like my hands it took two days for it to wash off.

 i have used an assortment of embelisments from the Fun Fair and Forget me not ranges by Dovecraft. you can find out about these products here www.trimcraft.co.uk. I
 painted over them with white acrylic paint and let it dry before flicking some Ocean Blue Spritzing ink over it.

The shell and Starfish stamps are from Oak House Studios and i just stamped them on to plain card and cut them out. You can view their range of products on their site www.oakhousestudio.com its free shipping if you spend £25 or more.

Thanks for visiting