"Inspire" for Leaky Shed Studio & Once Upon A...Sketch

It's time for the Once Upon A...Sketch November reveal!! Our journaling theme this month is "Inspiration." Who or what are you inspired by?

I've always been inspired by the beauty of God's creation, particularly the vibrant colors and power of crashing waves during a sunset at the beach. This photo was taken on a family trip to Indian Rock Beach a few years back. I've featured the Leaky Shed Picket Fence and new release, Floral Pirouette (small), which are perfect for a beach layout.

"Inspire"

Journaling Theme: "Inspiration/I am inspired by etc..."

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! 

November Sketch

For challenge details, more design team inspiration, and to link your project go HERE.

My journaling is just below the fence on the right side and says: I’m inspired by God’s creation. I love to walk along the beach at sunset. I’m reminded of God’s goodness and grace in the vibrant color and of His power in the crashing waves.

Tips and Techniques

I painted my chipboard to give a slightly weathered look, and highlighted and shadowed the edges to make it look like it was catching the final rays of light from the setting sun. I splattered the background for a sea foam effect, with some of the splatter touching the fence. 

I've clustered a variety of flowers (mostly Prima) around the layout along with natural seashells. Here I've added a bit of fishnet as well. I've scattered Prima pebbles and Dew Drops around the page like pieces of polished sea glass.

Here's a side view showing more of the fence, flowers, vines, and berries. I've softened the vibrant flowers by dry brushing with a little white gesso.

This Floral Pirouette chipboard is a new release which will soon be available on Scrapbook.com. I painted and shaded the flowers with acrylic paint. I love how the laser carved design shows on the petals through the paint. I wanted the stems to look like gnarly seaweed, so painted brown, then covered with transparent Viva Crackle paint for texture. I allowed a bit of the white splatter to splash across the piece and dry brushed with white gesso along with the flowers.

Here's a side view. To break up the more vibrant colors, I've included some lighter blue flowers along with some in burlap.

Here's one final shot of the top corner cluster. My wheat stencil made for some nice looking "seagrass" on the background.

You can stop by the OUAS blog to link your project HERE.

Leaky Shed Studio Products

Leaky Shed Studio Products

Picket Fence

Floral Pirouette (small) **New Release**

Other Products

13Arts ~ Timeless – Good Times

13Arts ~ Timeless – All the Time

Prima ~ Frost Gypsy Roses #565770

Prima ~ Bel Canto – Brown #562175

Prima ~ Lady Bird – Mini Rose Stems #565473

Prima ~ Banda – Golden Yellow #562021

Prima ~ Sherwood Rose – Sherwood #562021

Prima ~ Soubrette – Blue/Green #561611

Prima ~ Junkyard Findings – Typo Bulbs 2 #891534

Prima ~ Pebbles #57613

EK Success ~ Daisies 

Petaloo ~ Burlap Blossoms – Natural #1201000

Petaloo ~ Darjeeling – Hydrangeas, Blue

Dew Drops ~ Clear Drops – Large 

Sunflower – Stash

Darice ~ Seashells; Berry Sprigs

Ashland ~ Berries, Purple

Liquitex ~ Gesso –  White, Clear

Viva ~ Croco Crackling Colour – Transparent

Viva ~ Ferro Special Effect Paste – Graphite 

Clearsnap by Donna Salazar ~ Mix’d Media Inx CHOX - Butternut

Ranger ~ Archival Ink – Jet Black

Higgins ~ Drawing Ink - White

Pan Pastels ~ Copper; Rich Gold; Bronze

DecoArt ~ Crafter’s Acrylic – Burnt Umber; Black; Café Mocha; Yellow; Burnt Orange

Americana ~ Acrylic Paint – Driftwood

Pigma ~ Micron – 05 Blue

Prima ~ Clear Stamps – Threading #960797 

Kaisercraft ~ Template – Wheat

Helmar ~ Crystal Kote Fixative Spray

Helmar ~ Gloss Spray

Helmar ~ 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Helmar ~ Liquid Scrap Dots

Helmar ~ Premium Craft Glue

Helmar ~ Zapdots ½” Square

Tombow ~ Multi Mono Liquid Glue

Zutter by Donna Salazar ~ Distrezz-it-All

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

"In the Garden" Mixed Media Layout featuring Helmar and Leaky Shed Studio

I mentioned in yesterday's post that March has arrived, but winter is still here in full force with temperatures last night going below 0 F. Brrrr!! So to warm you up, I have a lovely summer layout. I gave a sneak peek yesterday and am back today with all the details.

Mixed media is a hot trend right now, and I believe it will be sticking around for a long while to come. At least I hope it does!! One of the biggest challenges I had when starting to use different art mediums on my layouts was getting my embellishments and photos to stick to the more slick and textured background. A while back I entered a Helmar/May Arts contest and was sent a small bottle of Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive. Let's just say an addiction was born as I used that glue on my page. I was totally a tape runner girl, but was converted in short order as I saw how well everything stayed in place. No more elements falling off my page and it didn't warp my paper like some other liquid adhesives do. 

When I saw the DT call for Helmar designers last fall, I couldn't resist, since I was so hooked. All of their products have been amazing to work with. I have to give a little plug here. Helmar is having another DT call right now, so if you would like to work with their amazing adhesive products check out the details here. The call closes March 21.

OK, back to my layout. This is my sweet niece digging in her grandpa's garden. I picked up on the purples and blues from her clothing to use for the page background and embellishments. 

"In the Garden"

Tips and Techniques

My embellishments and flowers are adhered with Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive.

To achieve the grungy color on my flowers, they were dry brushed with gesso, then dabs of mist were brushed across them randomly, then I spritzed them with water to lighten and spread the mist. 

These stems are a great bargain embellishment. They started out bright glitter blue from a "pine" sprig I got clearanced after Christmas. I painted them with spray gesso and then brushed with mist to color. 

While most of my elements are adhered with 450 Quick Dry Adhesive, some of the flowers like this one on the left were adhered with Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots to raise up and position.

Another view of the flowers. To tuck items in under the photos, I've raised them by adhering with Helmar Zapdots. 

The Leaky Shed Studio chipboard Harja Flourish Zwei was cut into two pieces with parts being used above and below the photo. I often cut my chipboard pieces to suit the needs of the layout I'm working one. I have dry brushed watered down gesso across the flourish, leaving some of the natural chipboard color showing through. I then used up mist overspray from my craft mat by watering it down and brushing it across the flourish pieces to give just a hint of color. 

This chipboard fence is by Leaky Shed Studio, I used just a portion of it. I have layered gesso and mist to get the look of weathered wood like the fence in the photo background and wrapped a berry vine around it which was also gessoed and colored with mist. You can tell from this photo, that it does not lay flat with the wrapped vine and textured background, but the 450 is quite strong enough to hold it in place by adhering where it does contact the background. 

Notice the small "In the garden" title sticker? It would not adhere to this textured surface, but a dab of 450 holds it securely in place. 

Finally, a view of the mixed media texture. I've stenciled with light molding paste, then brushed over with gel medium sprinkled with punch waste bits, micro beads and mini marbles. This was misted, gessoed, and splattered, and then dry brushed again with gesso. You can see why normal adhesives would have a challenge adhering to this surface.

Helmar Products

450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Liquid Scrap Dots

Zapdots ~ White Square 1/2"

Leaky Shed Studio Products

Leaky Shed Studio ~ Picket Fence Chipboard

Leaky Shed Studio ~ Harja Flourish Zwei Chipboard (Upcoming Release)

Other Products

13Arts ~ Timeless - Long Time Ago

Heidi Grace Epoxy Stickers - Daisy Dear

Prima ~ Perle Bebe - EnFrancais; Tea Roses - Latte; Parisa Mayfair Mix

Wild Orchid Crafts ~ Mulberry Flowers - Daisy Stem Flowers - Purple

Maya Road Vintage Trinkets - Vintage Pearl Roses

Petaloo ~ Color Me Crazy - Mixed Floral; Mulberry Street Wild Roses - White

Prima Vintage Metal Trinkets - Marion Smith

Darice ~ Berry Vine; Glittered Pine Sprig

Beadies ~ Micro beads; Mini Marbles

13Arts ~ Ayeeda Mist - Chalk Ultramarine

Clearsnap ~ Smooch Spritz - Frosted Grape, Log Cabin

Golden ~ Light Molding Paste; Soft Gel (Matte)

Liquitex ~ Gesso

Punch Waste

Americana Classic Stencil ~ Jacobean Floral

Prima ~ Doily 1 Stencil - 6" x 6"

DCWV ~ 12" x 12" Template EM-033-000023

Darice ~ Heat Tool

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~