Thursday, March 26, 2015

"Splendid, Wonderful, Breathtaking" Layout Details ~ Helmar, Leaky Shed Studio, SATW

I'm so delighted to have the privilege to work with this amazing photo of Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland taken by my scrapbooking friend, Linda Eggleton. I adore the lines and colors in this photo. Linda has graciously given me permission to scrapbook a copy of it. You can find more of her delightful photos and work HERE.

I'm guest designing for Helmar and have featured their Liquid Scrap Dots which give me the ability to tilt and arrange my flowers and elements just how I want to. Details of how I do this can be found on the Helmar blog HERE.

I've also featured gorgeous Leaky Shed Studio chipboard. If you are a regular follower, you know how I just adore cutting things apart and using them in different ways. Be sure to hop on over to the Leaky Shed Studio blog for more details on how I've used their fabulous chipboard HERE.

Today, I'll give you a few details on how I created my mixed media background as you scroll down through my photos. I also pulled inspiration from the gorgeous March Mood Board at Scrap Around The World HERE. More details about how I was inspired later in my post.

"Splendid, Wonderful, Breathtaking"

Tips and Techniques
I had fun using a variety of mediums on this layout. To prepare my paper to hold up to the wet mediums I knew I'd be using, I brushed the paper with clear gesso. Two coats on the front and one on the back (brushing it on the back helps it to lay flatter.) I started by applying tissue tape across the page and down the center and lightly dry brushed it with white gesso. You can barely see snippits of it now, but the glimpses of text add a nice touch. 

The next thing I did was to lay down some roughly cut sheet rock tape in the same general areas as the tissue tape. For added texture I brushed super heavy gesso across the grid. I also used light molding paste over a ledger and doily stencil. When dry, I used several shades of green and grey Lindy's Mists to spritz and splatter. I also used the Lindy's mists to color and grunge up the flowers.

I cut up a Leaky Shed Studio Swirl Tree for the lovely flourishes.

I enjoy giving new life to older, out of style objects. Remember those old photo slide frames that were popular, oh about 10 or so years ago? This one had a wood grain on it. I sanded it lightly, rubbed with ink, and randomly stamped to give it a grungy edge, then tucked in part of my typeset title that is spread across the page. The lovely flourish bit above the frame is the top of a Leaky Shed Studio Bird Cage.

Lately, I've been mixing my embossing powders. Here I heated Fran-tage Aged Ivory to cover my Leaky Shed Studio Spring Butterfly, then used my finger to rub a bit of Perfect Medium across the wing edges. I sprinkled very lightly with Aged Hunter and heated again. I was very careful to use only a light sprinkling of the green so the ivory would show through.

More flowers and textures. You can also see some of the random stamping. For some of my metal and flower elements, I spread with a clear crackle medium to age, then dripped on mist to highlight the crackle. Other elements are dry brushed with white gesso.

One final shot.

You can see how many of my elements and flowers are turned and tilted. Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots are the perfect adhesive to achieve this.

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I drew inspiration from the mottled grey horse background, colors and curving lines of the twine photo in the March Scrap Around The World Mood Board. I also used pops of the creamy yellow from the sunshine photo.

Be sure to hop on over to check out this month's fabulous challenge at




Helmar Products

Leaky Shed Studio Products

Other Products
7 Dots Studio ~ Thoughts Keeper - No 2, No 4, Elements 6 x 12
Prima ~ Bermont, ocre
Petaloo Embelishments Darjeeling Petites, green
Petaloo Floral Ephemera, yellow 
Petaloo Spring Darjeeling Collection Dahlias, pistachio
Petaloo Botanica Collection Minis, white
Petaloo Canterbury Rose, lemon
Petaloo Mixed Textured Blossoms, amber
Petaloo Color Me Crazy - Handtyes, Rosebuds
Spare Parts ~ Metal Feathers, Charms
Prima ~ Vintage Trinkets #930028
Darice ~ Heart Pheasant Feathers
Bead Landing ~ Found Objects - Clock Hands
Michaels ~ Metal Icons - A Place in Time
Deluxe Designs ~ Freeze Frames - Natural Wood
Momenta ~ Metal Stickers - ST-5705; 17517
Idea-ology ~ Tim Holtz - Tissue Tape, Symphony
Clearsnap by Donna Salazar ~ Mix’d Media Inx - Stormy
Liquitex ~ Gesso - Super Heavy, White, Black, clear
Golden ~ Light Molding Paste
Viva ~ Croco Crackling Colour - Transparent
Lindy’s Stamp Gang ~ Starburst - Green with Envy Green, Black Orchid Silver
Lindy’s Stamp Gang ~ Flat Fabio - Aloha Avocado
Stampendous ~ Frantage - Embossing Enamel, aged ivory, aged silver, aged hunter
Ranger ~ Perfect Medium
Prima ~ Finnabair 6x6” Stencil - Doily No.1 #960551
The Crafter's Workshop ~ 12 x 12” Sketch Grid
DCWV Stencil - EM-033-00019
7 Dots Studio ~ clear Stamps - Thoughts Keeper
Darice ~ Heat Tool

14 comments:

  1. Amazing Tracey! Love how you've used the embossing pastes & the way you've used embellies that totally go with that photo... Fabulous!!!!!

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  2. This is so beautiful.. love the rustic look, love the design and the flourishes.. and the flowers.. and amazing photo.. love it all..

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  3. Sooooooooo gorgeous! LOVING the colors, the flowers and the feathers!!!!!!!

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  4. Stunning layout, it's an extension of that GORGEOUS photo!

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  5. Oh WOW! So many gorgeous details Tracey! Thank you for playing along with us this month at Scrap Around the World!

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  6. "Splendid, Wonderful, Breathtaking"...yes all those words and many more for this drop dead gorgeous layout. Love what you created....your technique work is amazing.

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  7. Absolutely breathtaking, as always Tracey!
    Thank you for playing along with us at SATW <3

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  8. Hi Tracey
    This is so gorgeous, it's a very naturel LO thanks to the beautiful picture, flowers and the techniques u used.
    Greetings, Danoesja

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  9. What a stunning layout Tracey! Your background is gorgeous and I love the treatment your did on your chipboard! Love the colors! Just a stunning piece of work! All the best from SATW! :)

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  10. the colors are amazing ...this is a beauty

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  11. hello Tracey, love your work! thank you for playing along with us at scrap around the world <3

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  12. Tracey, your page is wonderful! thanks for playing along with us at SATW!

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  13. Very very beautiful project! Thanks so much for sharing with us at SATW!

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  14. Wow, absolutely beautiful details. Such lovely work.

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