Aloha My scrappy Friends!! It’s Hannah with you today. When I started scrapbooking I was hooked on Mixed Media. When I made a layout it always had a variety of media on it, and I may have went a little crazy. It really appealed to me in the no rules aspect. It really helped me grow and learn about about as a scrapbooker. This journey is one of the most important for a memory keeper. It helps you forage the way you end up telling your story, in the way you need to do. This is whether or not you yourself add media to your projects.
As I started growing and leaning towards cleaner layouts, I did less and less media. My products sitting lonely in my mixed media drawer.
Lately though I really have been itching to play around and get dirty. Literally. I think Mixed media is like riding a bike, once you get the hang of it and into the groove you get better with time.
Today I am going to be using the May Sorbet kit with add ons from the store to be making my Travelers Notebook. I wanted this size because I think sometimes it is a good place to start, a smaller size to fill up.
Also I hope you take quick look of the new Travelers Notebook Kit that is being added to Clique Kits. It matches the main kit and has tons of goodies play with it your Travelers Notebooks or even adding to your main kit.
Let’s look at what I made. I am not going to lie, this spread was my nemesis!! A real labor of love. No matter what I did, I was not sure how I felt. When I am using mixed media products I really use my gut feeling to help guide through the creating process. I think this is quite different approach from just making a layout or other memory keeping project.
Here are some tips to remember about Mixed Media :
It almost always looks bad before it looks really good. I think this is because layers is the key. Sometimes a stencil gets smudge a little, or a paint splatter is bigger than you thought.
When making my layout I had tried using the cut file Maryam had designed, and adding that right to the page. It was just too much paper on all the paint I had added. I actually used my cut file to trace the triangles on top of my paint. splotches.
These splotches are through my layout and I used Shimmerz Acri-tonez in hot pink (it dry so fast and I don’t have to add gesso before, which is nice when I don’t have extra steps.) and gold paint.
When you mess up you can always cover it up. Sometimes a stencil doesn’t leave a clear image, or you smudge paint before it dries. When I make a mistake I always try to remember that I can always cover it up with an embellishment or photo. This helps take the pressure off so I don’t have to stress about it being perfect. Mixed Media is all about having fun and experimentation.
Also if you really screw things up, you can always start over again on a fresh new page or cover it with gesso. Since mixed media is about the layers adding gesso and another layer of paint or media it will add an unique twist to your spread.
On my spread I used a doily I had left over from last month’s kit and used it as a layer under my photo. I layered a piece of card stock with the Pretty Little Studio washi strips. I placed these over an area where my silkscreen didn’t transfer my gold paint very well.
I love the way that tab from the exclusive printable looks under my photo with some hearts from Pink Fresh Studio. The gold mirror heart was in the Add on store, and these pieces are so cute. They really help tie in all the gold I used on the background.
Mixed Media is about art expression, use things you love. When you love the techniques, colors, products, tools or embellishments, it will show on your spread. Playing and learning is part of mixed media, but in the end the things you love that you add to your project really set your page from just okie to a LOVE page. You may not love every page you make, but using products and elements you love will give you pieces that you love too.
On the page I made I really was eyeing the Freckled Fawn clips. They are so bold and fun. They really make a statement. I layered them with a cut part from one of the papers from the Main Kit and a stamped image I popped off the page. I stamped the image, with the Pink Fresh Studios stamp set, on white card stock and cut it out. Adding pop dots to give it dimension off the page and making the image more of the focal point. Especially with stamped or written phrases on the inside.
Also layered under the clip was a gold doily from my stash, gold thread and some of the exclusive sequins for this month. They match this kit so well, and the flower sequins looked so cute inside my rainbow.
I added some Pretty Little Studio block alphas to finish my title and finished this cluster up with a gold mirror heart.
My last tip for mixed media, is Have Fun and Play, Play, Play. Mixed media is about expression and when you aren’t having fun it shows. If you aren’t having fun, you won’t want to come back to it later. Just let go and have fun playing.
Playing and practicing also makes a difference. It will help you get better and get a feel for the techniques you get quickly and the ones you need to work on if that is the media you want to use.
These Maggie Holmes butterflies in the Add on section in the store are so fun. They worked perfectly with my spread because it’s about change. Embracing the change an flying high with it.
Here is a look at my full spread. It’s not perfect, but in the journey of making this I really embraced it. I really kept trying until I got a look I was happy with. Even if I had to take up things off the page three or 4 times.
I hope this week you give some thought in how you can add some fun and play mixed media to you spreads. Even little things like adding some modeling paste to a journaling card, or splatter some color ink on white card stock before you start layering papers.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for this weekend, for international Scrapbooking Day, May 6th. We will be hosting tons of amazing challenges to play along in. There will be lots of chatting, scrapbooking and prizes!!
Clique Kits 