"Wedding Flowers" Mixed Media Layout for Helmar and Leaky Shed Studio

I've been a crafter since I was a young girl. So although I had not done much with flower arranging, I was game when Elizabeth asked me to create the bouquets for her and her bridesmaids. The wedding photographer captured them so beautifully.

I've used some of my favorite products to create this layout from the Leaky Shed Studio Chipboard and Helmar Adhesives to the gorgeous 7 Dots Studio Nature Walk paper collection.

"Wedding Flowers"

Tips and Techniques

Stop by the Helmar Blog to check out the details on how I use Zap Dots to raise my photos so that I can tuck flowers, chipboard, and other elements under and around my photos.

I've added texture to the Leaky Shed Studio Fern Flourish by dabbing with extra heavy gesso, then painting. 

The dragonfly wings are painted with metallic paint, then dusted with Donna Salazar's Clearsnap Twinkle Dust Glitter in Mixed Berries. The body was covered with Helmar 450 and sprinkled with silver microbeads. I've used Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive to adhere these gorgeous chipboard pieces to the layout.

The flowers, chicken wire and metal leaves are adhered to the mixed media background with Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive. 

As you can see here the flowers are positioned on different levels and layers. To place them properly I've used Liquid Scrap Dots to lift and arrange them where needed.

Here's a shot of the smaller cluster. The purple on the background was created with Pan Pastels and spritzed with Helmar Crystal Kote Fixative spray. I've also stamped randomly with Mix'd Media Inx.

Helmar Products

Zapdots ~ 1/2" Square, white

450 Quick Dry Adheseve

Premium Craft Glue

Liquid Scrap Dots

Crystal Kote Fixative spray
Paint/Glue Spreader

Leaky Shed Studio Products
Fern Flourish
Spring Dragonfly

Other Products
7 Dots Studio Nature Walk - Cotton, Musical Blooms
MME ~ Lost and Found - Record It Antique Alpha and Word Stickers
Metal Leaves ~ Etsy
Chicken Wire - white
Lace - stash
Petaloo ~ Canterbury Collection Rose Blossoms - white
Prima ~ Troika - white
Prima ~ Parisa Mayfair Mix
Prima ~ Wildflowers Pillar Pack - white
Wild Orchid Crafts ~ Sweetheart Blossoms - white
Wild Orchid Crafts ~ Cottage Roses 25mm, mixed purple/lilac
Wild Orchid Crafts ~ Cherry Blossoms - white
Clearsnap by Donna Salazar ~ Mix'd Media Inx - Sparrow, Midnight
Ranger ~ Distress Ink - Dusty Concord
Pan Pastels
Liquitex ~ Extra Thick Gesso
Liquitex ~ Gesso
Golden ~ Soft Gel, Matte
Golden ~ Light Molding Paste
Clearsnap by Donna Salazar ~ Twinkle Dust Glitter, Mixed Berries
Beadies ~ Microbeads, silver
Art Gone Wild by Donna Salazar ~ Vine
Close to My Heart ~ Distressed Backgrounds
Glitz ~ Distressing
Stampers Anonymous ~ Seamless Experience
TCW ~ 6 x 6" Mini Art Is ... Stencil

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

"Adorable" Mixed Media Layout for Donna Salazar

As I was going through some older photos recently, I came across this cute baby photo of our now grown son, Joseph. It was so sweet and adorable that I just had to create a layout with it. The Donna Salazar Family Jeans collection along with her other products were absolutely perfect for this layout. Joseph is a real charmer with this darling grin!! 

"Adorable"

Tips and Techniques

I've handcrafted these sweet roses with Donna's Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms Dies. My tutorial can be found here. Donna's paper pads include a sheet of these great embossed words and images, perfect to fussy cut for my title. 

The heart is stamped with Donna's Heart Applique stamp using Denim Mix'd Media Inx then heat embossed with Clearsnap clear embossing powder.

My gears are created by cutting and embossing black cardstock with Donna's Sprightly Sprockets dies, then applying metallic paint. Another Bitty Blossom, this time created with mulberry paper from Donna's Mix'd Media Stax 2.

For the background I cut the starburst and applied it to the background paper. I used Donna's Want2Scrap 8 x 10 Arrow Stencil to brush on thinned gesso. I then brushed the wet gesso in the direction of the arrows for the cool striped effect. I misted with Pralines and Cream Smooch Spritz and dyed the white ric rac with this Smooch as well. Finally I splattered with thinned white gesso.

To go along with the baby theme, I used Donna's Want2Scrap Alphabet stencil with light molding paste to add dimension and texture.

I layered one of Donna's Want2Scrap Hand Drawn Swirls with a Twine Flower and mulberry Bitty Blossom. A tutorial for my Twine Flowers can be found here. 

One final shot of this little cluster with more of the mulberry Bitty Blossoms.

Donna Salazar Products

GCD Studios ~ Family Jeans Collection

GCD Studios ~ Natural Beauty

GCD Studios ~ Mix'd Media Stax 2

Want2Scrap ~ Hand Drawn Swirls Chipboard, Card Size

Clearsnap ~ Mix'd Media Inx - Stormy, Truffle, Denim, Patina, Peridot

Clearsnap ~ Smooch Spritz - Caramel Latte, Ice Rink

Want2Scrap ~ Alphabet Stencil - 8 x 10", 3 1/2 x 5 1/4"

Want2Scrap ~ Small Arrows Stencil - 8 x 10"

Spellbinders ~ Bitty Blossoms Dies

Spellbinders ~ Sprightly Sprockets Dies

Art Gone Wild Stamps ~ Heart Applique

Art Gone Wild Stamps ~ Woodgrain

Art Gone Wild Stamps ~ Crackle

Other Products

Black Cardstock

Idea-ology ~ Remnant Rubs - Life Quotes

Hemptique ~ Baker's Twine, Oyster (Really Reasonable Ribbon)

Jute Twine

Ric Rac 3/8", white (Really Reasonable Ribbon)

Prima ~ Say it in Crystals

Prima ~ Rusty Typo Zippers

Prima ~ Wood Buttons

Prima ~ Small Typo Bulbs

Idea-ology ~ Tissue Tape

Bead Landing ~ Found Objects Charms - Watch Keys, Mini Clocks

BBP ~ Vintage Keys

Liquitex ~ Gesso

Golden ~ Light Molding Paste

Lumiere Pearlescent Paint

Clearsnap ~ Metallic Ink - gold, copper

Clearsnap ~ Embossing Powder, clear

Helmar ~ 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Helmar ~ Liquid Scrap Dots

Helmar ~ Zap Dots 1/2", white

Spellbinders ~ Artisan X-plorer

Darice ~ Heat Tool

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

Scrapbooking.com Publications

I'm so excited to share that three of my layouts have been published in the

May Issue of Scrapbooking.com Magazine!! 

Click on the links to view the articles:

You Are Loved ~ Featured Article

First Day ~ Featured Article Wedding Department

Guy Time ~ Wedding Department (Scroll down)

Be sure to check out the entire May Issue of Scrapbooking.com Magazine.

You are sure to be inspired and best of all it's free!

~ Blessings ~

Wedding Decor ~ Guest Designing for Something Tattered

I have been invited to guest design for Something Tattered with their gorgeous stamps.

I've created two coordinating wedding decor sets to share with you.

My goal was to create pieces with lovely details that would be easy to reproduce for a wedding.

Burlap is hot right now for weddings. I've always enjoyed combining grungy, earthy items like burlap with more elegant designs and textures as you will see in this first set. 

Close-ups and Details

Amour is love and a perfect sentiment from the AMOUR Amour Stamp Set for this die cut at the corner of the Table Number decor piece. 

I simply used a 5 x 7" photo mat as a base, cutting the burlap just larger than the mat and fringed the edges. This Opulent Ovals Spellbinders die was the perfect size to stamp the lovely sentiment and was tied with a bow of jute twine. 

Many of the Something Tattered stamp sets have gorgeous and unique flourishes.  I stamped and heat embossed this gem from the Fleur De Lis Bird and Arrow Stamp Set below the table number. This frame could be easily repurposed as a home decor piece by switching a photo for the table number.

The Twine Flowers are hand crafted with instructions located on my blog here. 

This is a quick and easy gift bag that could be used as part of the wedding table decor. I used a larger Opulent Ovals die that was another perfect fit for the larger Amour and gorgeous flourish. Both of these images are from the AMOUR Amour Stamp Set. Once again a simple jute twine bow adds a bit of rustic elegance.

The burlap bag is premade from SRM Stickers. Burlap does not stamp well with delicate stamps, so I pulled out a sheet of cork from my stash. Not only did it look great with the burlap, but these fabulous images stamped with perfect detail on it. I selected this medallion image from the Frieze Stamp Set since it included a heart in the motif, so perfect for wedding decor. The cork and lace are glued into place.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My second set is for a more elegant wedding.

Close-ups and Details

I used another 5 x 7" photo mat for the table number piece. I stamped this image from the Swirls Stamp Set in white and then heat embossed with a pearlescent embossing powder. The design really pops and shimmers in real life. Again this piece can be used for home decor by swapping a photo for the table number.

Under the table number, I used a different flourish from the Fleur De Lis Bird and Arrow Stamp Set. It is stamped in black and heat embossed with clear embossing powder ~ a great trick I learned to get the lovely raised image, without stray bits of "black" embossing powder showing up on the background.

It is hard to see in the photograph, but I stamped "veins" on the butterfly wings with the July Juillet Stamp Set image to add another layer of dimension before sprinkling with Twinkle Dust Glitter. The butterflies are cut with Wonderful Wings dies. I used a pearl flourish for the butterfly trail, but you could also use liquid pearls for this.

Finally, here's a shot of the little organza bag that could be filled with white mints as a table favor. Or, how sweet would these be filled with bird seed to toss on the bride and groom after the ceremony?

I inserted a piece of cardstock into the bag to avoid the ink going through to the back of the bag and used Jet Black Archival ink to stamp this stunning medallion image from the Frieze Stamp Set. Although the ink is black, the image is a beautiful soft gray on the white organza. 

The tag is stamped with the Amour image I've used previously along with an image from the Fleur De Lis Bird and Arrow Stamp Set. A seam binding bow and little white flower add an elegant finishing touch.

I hope you've been inspired to create the table decor for your special wedding using Something Tattered stamps. Not only are their designs gorgeous, but the quality of these lovely stamps matches their beauty.

Something Tattered Products

AMOUR Amour Stamp Set

Swirls Stamp Set

Frieze Stamp Set

Fleur De Lis Bird and Arrow Stamp Set

July Juillet Stamp Set

Other Products Used

Burlap Table Number

Something Tattered ~ AMOUR Amour Stamp Set

Something Tattered ~ Fleur De Lis Bird and Arrow Stamp Set

5 x 7 Ivory Bevel Cut Mat

Burlap

Beige Cardstock

Craft Cardstock

Jute Twine

Prima Lace ~ Alencon Collection

Darice ~ Hemp Cord - 10#, Earthy Colors

Ranger ~ Archival ink, Jet Black 

Clearsnap ~ Embossing Powder, Clear

Spellbinders ~ Opulent Ovals

Font ~ Jelica Delicious Cake

Helmar~ 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Sizzix ~ Big Shot

Tim Holtz ~ Grid Blocks

Darice ~ Heat Tool

Burlap Bag

SRM Stickers ~ Burlap Bag

Something Tattered ~ AMOUR Amour Stamp Set

Something Tattered ~ Frieze Stamp Set

Craft Cardstock

Jute Twine

Prima Lace ~ Alencon Collection

Darice ~ Hemp Cord - 10#, Earthy Colors

Spellbinders ~ Opulent Ovals

Ranger ~ Archival ink, Jet Black

Clearsnap ~ Embossing Powder, Clear

Clearsnap by Donna Salazar ~ Mix’d Media Inx - Sparrow

Helmar~ 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Sizzix ~ Big Shot

Tim Holtz ~ Grid Blocks

Elegant Table Number

Something Tattered ~ Swirls Stamp Set

Something Tattered ~ July Juillet Stamp Set

Something Tattered ~ Fleur De Lis Bird and Arrow Stamp Set

Ivory Card Stock

Zva ~ Pearl Flourish

Want2Scrap ~ Teardrop Pearls

Want2Scrap ~ Baby Bling - Pearls

Clearsnap by Donna Salazar ~ Mix'd Media Inx, Jasmine

Ranger ~ Perfect Medium

Ranger ~ Archival ink, Jet Black

Clearsnap ~ Embossing Powder, Clear

Ranger ~ Perfect Pearls, Heirloom Gold

Clearsnap by Donna Salazar ~ Twinkle Dust Glitter, Pralines and Cream

Sparkle and Sprinkle ~ Opaline Embossing Powder

Helmar~ 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Sizzix ~ Big Shot

Tim Holtz ~ Grid Blocks

Darice ~ Heat Tool

Elegant Bag

Something Tattered ~ AMOUR Amour Stamp Set

Something Tattered ~ Frieze Stamp Set

Something Tattered ~ Fleur De Lis Bird and Arrow Stamp Set

White Cardstock

Wild Orchid Crafts ~ Open Roses 10mm, white

Michaels ~ Organza Bag 3 x 4”, white

Ranger ~ Archival ink, Jet Black

Spellbinders ~ Opulent Ovals Dies

Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Sizzix ~ Big Shot

Tim Holtz ~ Grid Blocks

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

"Treasured Friend" Mixed Media Card for Helmar

One of my latests purchases is a set of Pan Pastels. This is my first project using them, and the colors and blending are fabulous. However, to keep the colors in place a fixative is suggested. Helmar's Crystal Kote Fixative spray worked perfectly with this medium. It's a workable fixative, so I could continue to work with the colors while avoiding unwanted smudges.

A birthday card for a very dear friend.

Tips and Techniques

I started with a card size piece of mixed media paper. I rubbed on and blended Pan Pastel color. Once I achieved the color I wanted, I misted the paper with Helmar Crystal Kote Fixative before moving on to the next step of stenciling with molding paste. Once the molding paste was dry, I applied more color then another misting of fixative.

The colored and stenciled paper was then adhered to a card base with Helmar Premium Craft Glue. I love that I this glue does not warp my papers, and that it gives me a few moments to adjust the placement before setting.

I also added color to my flowers with the Pan Pastels, and then misted them with Helmar Crystal Kote Fixative. I spread them out over a scrap piece of paper and misted them all at once. 

This retired Leaky Shed Studio border was heat embossed with Frantage Embossing Enamel.

The enameled chipboard and flowers were arranged, then adhered with Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive. A couple of the flowers were raised and positioned with Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots.

Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive adheres well to mixed media backgrounds like this. 

Helmar Products

Crystal Kote Fixative spray

450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Premium Craft Glue

Liquid Scrap Dots

More information on Helmar Product can be found here.

Other Products

White Cardstock

Mixed Media Paper

Petaloo ~ Color Me Crazy Trumpet Vine Spray, white

Petaloo ~ Penny Lane Forget Me Nots, mint

Wild Orchid Craft ~ 20mm Open Rose Ivory/Pale Pink

Jolee's Botique ~ Parisian Flowers

Leaky Shed Studio ~ Chipboard - circle border

Prima ~ Stencil - Flourish

Inkadinkado ~ Friend Stamp

Frantage ~ Embossing Enamel

Clearsnap - Donna Salazar Mixed Media Inx

Clearsnap ~ Embossing Powder

Pan Pastels

Golden ~ Light Molding Paste

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

Mother's Day card for Donna Salazar

It's a special weekend to celebrate the mother's in our lives. I'd like to wish each of you who are mom's a special day on Sunday. To celebrate, I've created this card for my mom. Donna's designs and products are so great to work with for shabby mixed media projects like this.

Mother's Day Card

Tips and Techniques

These sweet roses are created with the mulberry paper from Donna's Mix'd Media Stax 2 cut with her Spellbinder's Bitty Blossoms Dies, then brushed with gesso. 

Underneath the flowers, I've layered Donna's Mix'd Media Stax 2 Dictionary Paper and Want2Scrap Corrugated Board along with other delicate elements. 

Inside and out I dry brushed the background with gesso, then mixed Donna's Clearsnap Mix'd Media Inx Reinker into gesso and dry brushed that over top.

The edges are distressed with Donna's Distrezz-it-All by Zutter, then machine stitched.

I hope you've been inspired to grab your Donna Salazar products and created a card for a special mother in your life. 

Donna Salazar Products

GCD Studios ~ Natural Beauty Collection

GCD Studios ~ Family Jeans

GDC Studios ~ Mix'd Media Stax 2

Want2Scrap ~ Corrugated Board

Clearsnap ~ Mix'd Media Inx - Stormy

Clearsnap ~ Mix'd Media Inx - Reinker - Petals

Spellbinders ~ Bitty Blossoms Dies

Zutter ~ Distrezz-it-All

Other Products

Darice ~ Card Base

Want2Scrap ~ Rhinestones - Mother of Pearl

Queen & Co. ~ Twinkle Goosebumps, Clear

Darice ~ Self-Stick Gems - Cross

Plaid ~  Gem Drops

Cheese Cloth; Open Weave Fabric; Lace; Fibers; White Thread; Pine Sprig - Stash

Liquitex ~ Gesso

Spellbinders ~ Opulent Ovals

Cloud 9 Design - Stamp

Helmar ~ 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Helmar ~ Zapdots 1/2" Square, white

Helmar ~ Quickfix Adhesive Runner

Viking Sewing Machine

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

"Grandpa and Me" for OUAS and LSS

It's reveal day for the May Once Upon A...Sketch Challenge. Nadia has another gorgeous sketch for us to work with this month.

I recently came across this photo of our son, Joseph, taken many years ago when he was a wee toddler enjoying time on the tractor with his grandpa. The Leaky Shed Studio Tractor and Windmill are such absolutely perfect accents for this special memory. 

"Grandpa and Me"

I've journaled across the page along my farm lane about this special day.

May Journaling Theme: "Anything goes . . ."

Yes, you heard right. This month you can create a layout about ANYTHING you like,

but please do not forget our journaling rules.

You are free to interpret our theme ANY WAY you like. It is for your inspiration and this theme word DOES NOT need to be part of your title or journaling. But please make sure your layout is based on the sketch below and includes journaling (hidden journaling is fine). Acceptable journaling is MORE than just a sentence, or generic writing such as date/place etc. It needs to be present and at least 3 lines long. Remember, hidden journaling (under a photo/tag or behind your page) is perfectly fine but please DO let us know in your post where your journaling is!

OUAS May Sketch

I flipped the sketch:

Tips and Techniques

To achieve this rust finish on the Leaky Shed Studio Windmill, I painted it with Sophisticated Finishes Iron Metallic Surfacer, then the Rust Antiquing Solution.

I accented with chicken wire and used light molding paste to stencil the wheat background.

The Leaky Shed Studio Tractor is painted John Deere Green to go with my daddy's tractor. I grunged up the tires to look like it's traveling down my mixed media farm lane. 

I've been trying to use up things from my stash and these ribbon slide letters were painted to look rusty and strung together with twine. The black crackle is from an older rub-on sheet. 

This is one of my twine flowers. A tutorial for these flowers can be found here: 

I layered burlap and other fabrics around the photo along with strands of threads.

Leaky Shed Studio Products

Tractor

Windmill

Other Products
Authetique Foundations
Metal Ribbon Letters ~ Stash
Crackle Rub-on Sheet ~ Stash
Plastic Screen Mesh - Stash
Chicken Wire - Stash
Burlap - Stash
Cotton Fabric - Stash
DecoArt Paint
Ranger Paint Dabber
Beadies ~ Clear Marbles; Silver Microbeads
Tattered Angels ~ Glimmer Mist - Cork
Clearsnap ~ Smooch Spritz - Log Cabin
Liquitex ~ Extra Thick Gesso; Gesso
Sophisticated Finishes ~ Iron Metallic Surfacer; Rust Antiquing Solution
Golden ~ Soft Gel (Matte); Light Molding Paste
Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar - Mix'd Media Inx, Stormy
TCW ~ Woodgrain Stencil
Kaisercraft ~ Wheat Template
Stampers Anonymous ~ Lost and Found
CTMH ~ Distressed Backgrounds
Darice ~ Heat Tool

Thanks for stopping by today! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~