Sunday 17 July 2011

Colour Combos Galore Blog Hop {and Mixed Media Background Tutorial}.






Hey hey!  How's the weekend going?!  I had a great day yesterday with a day off & out of my studio, cooking up a storm for over a dozen hungry visitors, but it was wonderful to be doing something different & seeing some folks I haven't seen in years!  I spent Friday evening making gifts for everyone (printing out photographs & framing them with patterned paper borders) & everyone was very impressed with their (so easy to make!) gifts.  Personalised gifts are really the only way to go these days...

Anyway, you may be here due to the COLOUR COMBOS GALORE BLOG HOP and if so 


HELLO!!

Here is our official blurb:-

Welcome to the Color Combos Galore 200th "Anniversary" Blog Hop! We hope by visiting the CCG Design Team members' blogs, you will be able to pick up some fun tips and techniques. Many of the team members will be offering prizes, so you will want to visit all of the blogs to increase your chances of winning some fun scrappy stuff. We are also offering a chance at a Guest Designer spot for the month of August if you visit all of the blogs in our Blog Hop and participate in Challenge 200 by uploading your project to the CCG Gallery. It's so fun to get the colors before everyone else! Plus, who doesn't love to see their name in lights! 

The deadline for the chance to win these prizes is one week from today, 
Sunday, July 24, EST.

If this is your first stop at our Blog Hop, you'll want to start at Bente's blog, and follow the hop in order so you don't miss anyone.


 If you've been hopping in order, your next stop is Jasmine Shea.


Once you have visited all the blogs and uploaded a project to the CCG Gallery using Challenge 200, please make sure you check in at the Blog Hop discussion in the Special Announcements Forum at CCG. We will choose our August Guest Designer from that thread. Individual DT members will be choosing winners for the prizes they are offering. Good luck, and we hope you'll enjoy our blog hop!


Here is the humble RAK I am offering.  Doodlebug border stickers, a big, colourful flower rub-on, some Prima flowers, some Creative Imaginations journaling papers, & some mini American Crafts printed papers.  Comment for a chance to win {but only if you also comment on all the other blog-hop posts in the list AND upload a project to Colour Combos Galore before Wednesday midnight EST based on Colour Combo 200.  


For an EXTRA CHANCE TO WIN make a mixed media background AND feature GAUZE anywhere on your layout & I'll throw in an extra entry for you!


{Don't forget to JOIN MY BLOG AS A FOLLOWER to be in with a chance to win!!}

I have listed the blog hop order below & here is my take on Challenge 200.  At Colour Combos Galore not only are you challenged to stick as closely as possible to a limited colour combo but there is also an optional "Designer's Challenge" to push your creativity even further!  

In my opinion that's what makes Colour Combos Galore such a stand out site!


I've done a pretty good job of purging my stash over the last year & honing in on only buying what suits the way I create RIGHT NOW & for me that is white, vanilla & craft cardstock, so I haven't bought a sheet of another colour in at least a year!  {although I get a few sheets in each monthly kit club package} so I didn't have ANYTHING in the right shades of blue so did my best to create my own, using paints & mists.


I got the "Cool Blue" perfect with my paints but the "ice blue" was a bit off, despite trying my best to mix blue mists with white, the tone just wasn't correct to start with!  I don't often create mixed media backgrounds & I should - because it's easy - you can do it too!  

To achieve this background effect you need to:-

1)   Choose a colour mist, spray a little onto a plastic bag, mop it up using some bubble wrap & stamp the centre 1/3rd of your paper

2)  Choose your second colour, use your paint brush to pull out a blob onto the inverted lid, mix in some water (which I keep in a jam jar on my desk - to avoid multiple trips to the kitchen!) then, starting at the top of your page, swipe your brush down the page in straight lines ending at different lengths for a drippy effect.

3)  After your first layer mix in a little white acrylic paint & keep swiping to create some more dimension, this time after wiping your brush off on some dry kitchen paper.

4)  Now open up a couple of sheets of medical gauze & flatten it over your paint, whilst it is still wet, so that there is no need for adhesive, (fold back the edges & adhe them to the back of your page using masking tape TOMORROW when your page is dry!)

5)  Now get out your modelling paste & apply it, straight from the tube, concentrated (like toothpaste!) straight onto the top of your paper & gauze, applying differing pressures so that you create some texture.

6)  Lastly sprinkle some clear embossing powder directly onto your wet modelling paste & don't bother to shake off the excess, just heat (this will take a while for the powder to melt as there is a fair bit of it!)  then shake off any bits that have fallen lower than the white drip "zone" at the top, return it to the tub.

7)  Spray a few extra sheets of gauze with mist  (I always use plastic as a base - just slice open a big shopping bag down the side & flatten out) as nothing sticks to it as it does to newspaper.  Another advantage of this is that mists, inks & paints DON'T DRY OUT so I loosely fold up the packet, place it carefully in the corner of my room on the floor, then use it again on another page.  Artists mediums are expensive & plastic is non-absorbent so this way there is ZERO WASTAGE!

8) Do a quick clean up then off to bed!  Rinse & replace those precious brushes (I use real animal hair brushes & have owned them since art college 20 odd years ago).  

In the morning a masterpiece will await you!  

Like when you write down DIRECTIONS for people that need to get somewhere in your town, these instructions seem time-consuming & cumbersome, but they really ARE NOT.  

I NEVER go for anything over-complicated as I don't have the time or the inclination, so trust me & try it.  It took me about 20 minutes.

9)  In the morning I folded back the excess gauze & adhered it to the back of the layout using masking-tape then positioned the scrunched up gauze by getting it into position & holding it in place with big glue-dots underneath the photos & masking tape at the back.  I'm not a huge glue girl - glue is too messy for my liking, but if I do use it I stick to Tombo Mono, the best I've found.


Next I cut up some Hambly Screen Print dandelions from a transparency sheet & adhered those using an American Crafts Glue Dot runner, placing a little pearl in the centre of each & adding a Webster's Pages organza/tulle (almost edible...) flower {truthfully to tone down the orange as it was a little strong, but again I don't have much orange in my stash at all!}


At the base of my page I added some bling dots (to re-inforce the drippy theme) - extending down & between the dandelion stems), hand-journaled in the details, added a  nice big (old!) Lily Bee text rub on & some Glitz Design sentiment stickers, a Prima pebble & bling flower centre & a Sassafras asterisk sticker, plus a torn strip of Pink Paislee Artisan tape, which I also added to the VERY BOTTOM EDGE of my layout, then folded the other half of it to the back.  


For some extra texture I tucked in a couple of doilies, added some more bling to around the edge of one of them, and stapled on a Glitz Design sticker, which I tore in 2, using the hot-air balloon section right on the top of my layout, as a last, whimsical touch :).  I also adhered an American Crafts badge to the centre of one of the doilies for some glossy contrast against all the rough textures.

As you can see, I certainly had FUN with this one, which is what will happen to you if you come & join in at Colour Combos Galore, just remember to read the HOW TO PLAY here as there are some very specific guidelines there to help you know exactly how to get started, get spotted, maybe even be chosen as a GALLERY FAVE or a FEATURED MEMBER & definitely required to be chosen as a monthly winner in the random draw for the sponsored prize!

So off you go!!  Hop, hop, hop!!!

Bente Fagerberg - http://paperandglueheaven.blogspot.com/
Cynthia LlorĂ©ns - http://cyndiscrap.blogspot.com


Kelly Holbrook - kellyrholbrook.blogspot.com

Melinda Thompson - http://www.minseverydaymoments.blogspot.com/



Susan Stringfellow - www.creativelysavvy.blogspot.com 

Supplies List:-

Cardstock - White - American Crafts
Paint - Blue - Creative Talents
Paint - White - Dala
Modeling Paste - Reeves
Mists - Maya Road Orange Sherbet & Sunflower Yellow {mixed}
Blue Hydrangea (Maya Road), Smooch Spritz & Studio Calico Mr. Huey mist (Calico Cream) {mixed}.
Dandelion flowers (cut from Hambly Screen Prints transparency)
Tulle/organza flower - Webster's Pages
Pearls & bling - Basic Grey
Doilies - Etsy
"Lovely" badge - Dear Lizzy for American Crafts
Staples - Making Memories
Stickers - Glitz Design 'Afternoon Muse" & 'Love Nest'
Gauze - Health Ease "Plasterman" 100 x 100 x 8ply compresses
Foamcore plastic (behind photos)
Asterisk sticker - Sassafras {Robotics alphas}
Blue alphas - October Afternoon {Mini Market}
Pebble & ornate bling {flower centre} Prima
Text rub-on - Lily Bee
Printed (artisan) tape - Pink Paislee
Journaling pen - Creative Memories
Bubble Wrap - Packaging









69 comments:

Jenny Evans said...

AWESOME tutorial!! I am definitely going to try this!!

Alanna said...

Wow, you've done a great mixed media background there!! Thanks for sharing your process :)

Heart2hand said...

THIS is beautiful!!!! Love how you used something sooo NON-SCRAP and made it work into your layout. Great idea...

TFS
hugs
rhonda

Stefanie said...

Looks great, I really need to get into the whole misting thing, need to teach my ladies different techniques from now on. Love the mix of colours.

nita said...

Thank you for the inspiration!

Carolyn Lontin said...

Amazing layout! love all of the little details!

Unknown said...

Oh Helen
I have to sit down and TRY this, fabulous!!!

Fran Brunke said...

Helen, I love your layout and your fun techniques. And..I totally admire your stand on not buying patterned paper...and look what beauty results!

Shaunery said...

Wow so much to read and absorb. Definitely a jam packed hop! :D Your winner will be so delighted!

Ruby said...

Stunning layout, You are very talented.

Lynn said...

very creative and fun new ideas! wow!

Bellaidea said...

Hi Helen! I like your ideas and know now I still have lots of stuff 2 buy :)
I like your layout a lot.
Nice to know you also had fun with nice people.
I have visitors from SA this week and got kmy very first scrapbooking magazine from there ;0

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! I loveeeeeeeeeeee that background, the mesh...all the YUMMY texture!!! JUST STUNNING! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Toni K said...

This is soooo beautiful! I love the gauze you used, and details! Excellent!

Maggie Lamarre said...

oh my this is texture heaven...
I am inviting you to join our linking parties going on every week starting on wednesdays at
http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/2011/07/flower-tutorial-with-linking-party-on.html
Have a fabulous week,
Maggie
http://passionatelyartistic.com

Kathy said...

Wow! When I first read 'gauze' I didn't know what to expect, but I am loving what you created with it! I am always very nervous to use mixed media on my pages for fear of making a mistake and ruining it all...you are encouraging me to try it out!

Stephanie said...

ok, wow that's a lot of info to digest in a hop. Cool techniques ( I've been misting and using oddball stuff for years to create stunning effects). Thanks for sharing.

Tracee said...

Thankyou for the inspiration now off on a gauze hunt! lol Tx.

mahlin said...

Oh.. I need to get my gauze.. why didn´t I think of that before.. Thank you so much for the insight to your process..

Yolande (pronounced you-land-a) said...

Your background is absolutely AMAZING!!! i love your use of gauze...totally unique. Those dandelions, your bling, the organza flower and all your other details are superb. Thank you for a wonderful tutorial...hope to try it out some time. :)

Jeanne said...

Great layout and love your background. Thanks for the tutorial on making it... awesome! TFS.

Rachael Funnell said...

Hey Hey Helen!!! Absolutely Positively Awesome Layout.... the textured background is Sensational!!!!
Loving all your other Details too...
Enjoy your visitor & have a FAB weekend!!

Unknown said...

helen thanks for this interesting technique...thank you too for your generous rak, I was in S.A last september and I was shocked at the price of scrapbooking materials there...love from a fellow African,,,,born in pretoria....i live in athens now xx

Cynthia Lloréns said...

My dear and sweet friend!!!Your page is STUNNING...and your tutorial so great!!!!!
Your rak is so generous.
I fell so honored to be in the same time as you....you are such a great person and so talented!!
Kisses and huges from Brazil
Cynthia

Kerryn said...

This is stunning Helen! And I love that you've shared how you created the page (particularly the background) too. Think I might need to pick up some gauze at the shops today ;).

Jessy Christopher said...

That is totally beautiful! The colors are amazing! Love how you did up the background and thanks for sharing :)

Unknown said...

This layout has so much texture and depth! Really cool effects!

sandi said...

What a gorgeous lo! Awesome texture! Love this lo!

wendy said...

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing that technique. I love working with the "messy stuff" and can't wait to try this!

Crystal said...

Love this technique--Its like mixing art journaling and scrapbooking with an awesome finished project.

Tina said...

This layout is amazing! I abosolutely LOVE your mixed media background...love mixed media effects! thanks for the awesome ideas.

Susan said...

Love, love, love this mixed media background!! Thank you for the tutorial.

Kelly said...

It's gorgeous, Helen...thank you so much for sharing the tutorial.

Elaine said...

Helen,
I really love what you did with this layout and I think that using tha gauze was such an original and wonderful idea. Thanks for sharing.

Kiki Aposeki said...

Good morning and good week my friend!!! I love your LO is so beautiful The details are wonderful and the technique is impeccable! I want to try it but I don' t know if I can make it!!!! Kisses!!!

monica said...

molto bello

Eila Sandberg said...

Was just wondering about the background when I saw your page over at CCG so I had to scoot over to your blog to check out the fab tut I knew would be waiting for me!! AAAAHH this is just beckoning for me to put on my apron and start messing, your tut is so vividly and temptingly written! Loved seeing the pics of Cami from her birthday, remember reading it was coming up some posts further down. Just LOVE your page Helen, love it to bits! I do normally enjoy blog hops, but I have to confess a list of 23 blogs to visit in the CCG 200th anniversary one is simply a tad overwhelmingly long. Might visit a few select if/when I get spare moment. Loved having a peek at yours darling! xoxoxoxo

Gloria said...

Thank you for tutorial! I will try! Kisses from Italy, gloria.

peachy alfelor said...

Such a unique and beautiful layout. Very informative tutorial too. I'll try this out soon. Beaufiful!

Leonie said...

Hi Helen, wow what a super layout!! Great technique, thanks for sharing the steps involved, i think you've inspired me to use the gauze i've had in my stash for ages! cheers. xx

Marelize said...

Wow! What a totally awesome layout Helen and thanks so much for the step by step. Will have to try it sometime. Hope you have a lovely week. :)

Sharm Nidyanandan said...

wowza!! this is super duper gorgeous Helen!!! Thanks for sharing a tute on the background..I will surely try it out one of these days! You take on the colour palatte is wonderful! :)

Manu said...

WOW Helen!
This LO is very nice! Thank you for your tutorial!
Big Hugs.
Manu

Kiwi The Kreator said...

Helen, that background is SOOO deliciously messy!!! Off to get some gauze!!!

tellana said...

Simply gorgeous background technique! I love when people use gauze, modelling paste and bubble wrap. Those are things that are in my stash as well and now and then I try to use them.

Cathy said...

WOW adore the textured background you have created on your gorgeous LO Helen.. thanks for sharing!! Have a fab day :)))

Karen said...

Love the use of the medical gauze! So cool!

Marilyn said...

GORGEOUS!!!! I can see more clearly now, I love what you did Fantastic Background!!!! I love all the details ,too!! and the lovely photos!! so sad to hear that Scrapbook.com doesn't deliver to Africa, I chose it because it's easier to give you a gift card without the need of postal services.
Does Two Peas deliver to Africa? Thanks for let me know for the next time. Love your artistic page, Beautiful work!!! Hugs!!! :)

Jannina said...

Amazing layout! Love the tutorial...I plan to start using gauze.

Pearl said...

wonderful tutorial for the background & i really love how you used the gauze here !

Must remember to play with mine sometime !

my paper love studio said...

gorgeous and stunning layout. the details are amazing and love how everythnig seems to flow and mix together so well.

Ella Swan said...

Hello Helen,

I really love you LO for Color Combos Galore this week...
And I will try to follow your tutorial!!!
I tried to left a comment but there is an error, The blog aks for my google account password and when I insert it becomes a loop...
I had this problem in my blog then I change the profile options to allowed another optionssuch as: name/URL, anonimous, etc...then everyone can write.
You could try this too, then I can write and have a double chance to win your RAK prize :)

kisses from Brazil
Paloma

Scrappiness said...

I just love the texture that you added to your layout. Thank you for sharing the technique

scrapbookertink said...

Hi Helen, don't need an excuse to visit your blog I do so because I find your layouts so inspiring and love the stories you tell about your layouts and everyday things, your layout and tutorial is gorgeous, tks for chance to play x.

Unknown said...

This is awesome Helen!! You are awesome!!!I have no other words..just beautiful!

Jeni O'Connor said...

Helen this is a totally stunning creation. Love the fa arty background effect. Just wonderful!
You clever chickie! Thanks for drooping in on me.
Jeni

Jeni O'Connor said...

Big ooops LOL I meant fab arty effect!!!
Too funny!
Jeni

Sarah said...

Helen this is stunning - thanks so much for the tutorial - I'm off to buy some medical gauze!

Unknown said...

You know I just LOVE ths layout to bits!! Your mixed media background is sensational...thanks so much for the tutorial!! Will give it a go soon :))xx

Eva said...

your background is fantastic! I wish could do something like this! thanks for sharing!

Pam Pritzl said...

Helen, this is just stunning! I love the technique and will have to try it one of these days ... TFS!

Hugs

Pam

Indi Kala said...

That rely nice blog becouse that are define in the blog the beauty of the world. And according to this define the character of humen That rely you nice persion.


Thanks to you....

Shayne said...

Wow - quite an LO. A bit grungy (?) maybe?

Great tutorial too, i so need to get back into my scrap room, perhaps I'll be brave and give it a try!

Gorgeous child you have x

Elisa FornEzza said...

Fantastic background!!!I love it!!!
Thanks for sharing

Paloma Scrapbook said...

Hi Helen, I'm so glad now I can post on your blog...I had to download the new internet explorer version and now it seems to work well!!!
Finally....I always came here to check your work, I'm learning a lot with you. Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial..I can't wait to try to do it.

Michele's Scrapy Creations said...

very beautiful lo

michelesscrapycreations35 at yahoo dot com

forpahl5 said...

Love your background! thanks for sharing!

jenessa said...

Stunning layout! Thanks for the tutorial =)

Faye Marie said...

This is AH-MAZ-ING!!!!!!!!!!! I love it. Thanks for sharing!!!