Tuesday 26 February 2013

One Year Layout {Scrapmatts/Flourish with a Bling} Pink Paislee - With Inspiration Links & Thrifty Tips!





Hello!  You can follow the link to the product swap post at 
Scrapmatts using my earlier post (just scroll down) if you are 
interested in winning a big prize-pack full of chipboard from 
Scrapmatts & another big prize pack full of blingy stuff from
 Flourish with a Bling! 

 Meanwhile here's the page I created for the swap...


All product details can be found over at the Scrapmatts blog post
  HERE.  For me, the most difficult part of the design process is
 getting started!   Once I get going there's no stopping me.  I 
work fast & I always complete my projects in one 'standing'
 {as I stand at a counter, I never create sitting down}.  

I find that having a challenge in mind is a good way to get going
as it provides a 'starting point' so I decided to enter this in
 Keren's challenge on Yvonne's blog HERE.  The requirement 
is that you use a text print paper somewhere on your project
 so I chose an older Fancy Pants one for my base paper.  


To create the painterly blending around my chipboard die-cut 
I first inked around the circle (I sprayed a large ink-pad with
 water, swiped over it with a chunk of foam then used this to 
sweep around the circle.  The look was too defined so I rubbed 
gesso on top of it with another piece of foam until I was happy 
with the subtletly of it.


For the chipboard treatment I swiped over the frame with a damp 
sponge dipped in gesso, then I rubbed Distress stickles in
 'Worn Lipstick' over the top once it was dry.  I'm happy with 
the light but shabby look created.


A simple 'collage' layout within a frame like this could have
turned out 'boring' and flat so I decided to make my 'fillings'
interesting and textural.  Thanks to my friend Mitra in the US
for many of the items on this page - the black & white patterned
paper in the grid, the doily, transparency & organza bloomer
 tape.  Also the antique pearl hat pin.

Inspiration Link Up! - Jasmine Shea again - for her brave
background work & Kim Price (again!) for her delicate
pages, beautiful, subtle background treatments & awesome
chippie treatments.

Thrifty Tips!  1.  If gesso is hard to come by (for
 internationals) there are many cases when white acrylic
 will do just fine & using a damp sponge to apply it
keeps the viscosity going for longer.

2.  Save your sponges from your medicine/pill bottles to use
for applying your inks & paints - they work beautifully.  If you
need more either buy cosmetic applicator wedges or a large 
car cleaning sponge that you then cut up into about 10 parts -
both work well for me :)

3.  If you don't have any/enough fancy Tim Holtz ink applicators
just use a wad of cotton wool - works well enough!

4.  Save money on foam tape by using 'box cardboard' as a 3D
lifter on the back of sections you want raised.

5.  Test out glues to find an all-purpose one that works well &
is inexpensive.  Using glue where possible is much faster than
applying double-sided tape & much cheaper than using a tape gun.

6.  Doctor your alphas when necessary.  My R is actually a P with
a piece of a Z added to make the diagonal leg.  Use up your
 lesser used alphas (such as the Zs to create parts of other
 letters & stretch your stash!)

Time to complete - 2 hours



24 comments:

Svjetlana said...

One more gorgeous page Helen. Love how you used your bloomer trim. Thanks for useful cost saving tips.

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

Wow wow wowwwwwwwwwwwwwww! This is amazing Helen! I loveeeeeeeee how you made this collage and the circle to frame it all in!!! So pinning this gorgeous creation of yours!!!

Keren Tamir said...

wowwwwwwwwwww Helen this is stunning!! I love how you stuffed one of the windows with the flowers. what a great idea!! this looks amazing!!

juscrap said...

Wow Helen this is stunning!another wonderful job my dear friend. xx

topkatnz said...

A keeper indeed:) love what you did with the rose ribbon - very cool!hxx

Gayle Price said...

Fabulous page !! Love the way you have added so much interest to the collage sections, brilliant. Also love your inspiration links and thrifty tips...see, you are a 'wealth of knowledge' :))) as well as a ton of talent. xx

Lizzy Hill said...

I like this page - really different - & have been working on Keren's challenge, too - & both Jasmine & Kim are FAVEs of mine...& go Mitra...she's a corker, that girl AND your LO is amazing...LOVE the circle! AND your tips are fabbo...I'd forgotten the cardboard for height...timely reminder & I'm with you alllll the way re: glue c/f with double sided tape. I don't use it at all anymore!!! Thanks for sharing, Helen....love this post:):):)

yyam said...

Oh wow. Love this Helen. Those grids within the circle are a super idea. Love the pops of patterns and the beautiful swirls!

Thanks for playing along with my guest Keren's challenge!

Leonie said...

oh I love how you've filled the printers tray, lots of interesting things to look at. Well Done. :)

Cassandra aka Scrap Savvy said...

Helen this is amazing! I love the grid and the elements you chose to fill the circle.:)

Desire Fourie said...

Awesome Helen. I love the paper pieced circle and of course all your wonderful little finishing touches.
Hugs Desíre {Doing Life}

Adriana B said...

this is so beautiful, love it :0

Chantal Vandenberg said...

Oh this is lovely, Helen!!! And I'm loving the FWAB on your page! ;) Fabulous work indeed!!! :D

gracescraps@gmail.com said...

Stunning page, and thanks for the thrifty tips! ~ Blessings, Tracey

http://gracescraps.blogspot.com/

ANUPAMA CHOUDARY said...

This is so innovative, Helen...Love the 3D effect. Must try standing and scrapping...I take too long to complete a page!

Alison said...

Great tips...and the circle collage is fab!
Alison xx

Mitralee said...

Shhhh, this is my second time back! I didn't leave a comment yesterday but had a good think about what you did here. I really like how you framed all the textured items out. Very cool idea. And I love the shabby white color too. Super coolness! Glad some of my stuff made it on a page, that is the best! Hope you are feeling better. I know I said that already but I MEAN IT!! LOL

Marjie Kemper said...

Such a great LO and the title made me literally laugh out loud. xx

Anne Pennington said...

Ooo Helen - this is gorgeous!

FiKenward said...

Really sweet layout Helen, I like how you've documented this milestone for the lovely couple.

Mrs Frizz said...

gulp - loving this one ... totally ... and the tips ... hmmmmmmmmmmm ... thank you for sharing.

Lynette Jacobs said...

Truly very beautiful. I always love to read how you created your backgrounds that make your layouts so incredibly beautiful.

Denise van Deventer said...

Absolutely beautiful! Super page!!!

Eila Sandberg said...

Clever clever girl!! thanks for all the tips! and backtracking your blog, I know that this page was a winner!! congrats again sweetie!
Such a super super page! love how you framed everything. Is it a year already that they've been together?
xoxoxox