DREAM

Hi to all those following this LO work shop.

I promised a work shop on my blog last year, a bit late, I know but,...better late than never.....

I hope this inspires you all.That you have fun following this. Mostly I hope you all get around to using what you learn here. Create a LO/card/book using gesso and the other products used here. Take my word for it, it was so much fun to make and worth the time investment.All can be found at www.scrap-delight.nl

Dedicated to my sister Cheere down under, she has been asking me for ever to do this...So, Cheere,  your scrappy girl friends and of course every one else enjoy. 

Put some music on, let your self go,let your creativity juices loose, give your self the freedom to have  a lot of fun and get playing.....

A big tip: This is great for the color room pallets. You can change the choice of mists to fit the weeks requirements.

All products used are listed at the end of this post.

This Work Shop will show you how to totally change your paper and how to use up paper you will never use other wise..This is how the paper looked when I started - you have seen the results!

 The paper you have kept because you paid for it, or you have been given it...but in the mean time your taste has changed or you have not used it because you have paper that you like better. We all do this and have this. It is part of scrapping....collecting.......now you can get rid of the quilt and can use it with out being out of date.

I was sorting my stash one day and came across this...I said to my self...what was I thinking when I got this....then the light came on....if I use gesso on the flowers to change the color, why not the back ground. What have i got to lose, give it a go, then this was born.

It is better to prepare extra papers at the same time. The next day you might use more gesso, then it might look different then the others, which is not really a  problem. It is more that,  it is a pain in the butt if you find, in the middle of the LO you have to drop every thing and prepare more paper.

The fun has to be put on hold!

At least x4 papers are used, as shown above. (Plus x2 extra allowed for the flowers. previous post)

This is the gesso I used. Any gesso is good. Depending how thick it is, as to how many times you need to deck it.(layers of gesso)( If it is too thick, thin it down with water) I dried it between  each layer. I found using  a sponge to bring the gesso on to the paper easier than a brush. I some times use a kitchen sponge cut in to 1/4 so the sponge is easy to use. I have a stash ready cut in a container, so I am always ready to go.

IMPORTANT: Use an apron, as you WILL get messy.Wash your hands often or use latex gloves. When the gesso is dry it is hard to get off. My be you need to invest in a Tim Holtz cleaning soap....I have one and it does work.

Above you can see, the Martha Stewart deep edge punch used....if the pattern does not match...try to get it the unmatched in the one place. You can use this area to tear, you will understand this when you look further.

 This is the other Martha Stewart punch used. Only one corner punched as shown. This is for the matting of the photo. You can use any punch,catering to your own taste. 

Remember it is yourLO.

If you look closely you can see the punching is not perfect, so here is where I tore the paper. You also see how deep I tore the paper. See how I misted. You can chose what ever color you want. 

 This is the matting for the photo. I embossed only the top matting layer. If you emboss the under layer, you will be waisting your time. The embossing will not be seen when completed. 

Once the embossing is done, then spray with Glimmer Mist, you can see this below.

A close up of the embossing. See how all that glimmer gets caught up in the groves of the embossing. If you dry with the heat gun, the mist forms puddles and runs. The glimmer collects in the puddles, which gives it more intensity. Try it, you will see what I mean. I like this about the glimmer mist, so I spray a lot on the paper and do not take the excess off with a paper towel. You will see this later in the post.

Here you see that I have used a Prima marketing mask. After spraying and drying the page, I traced around the form of the mask.

As soon as I saw this mask, I have been wanting to do this. I am very happy with the results. 

Then rolled the tear back. With a paint brush, using the  excess over spray from the  Glimmer Mist, I painted the back of the paper rolled back. 

You can  see the pink showing through from under the tear lines that are rolled back. I misted only the edges that will be showing behind the lace punching and this area. As you will not see the rest of the under layer, this would have been a waste of misting.

You see here, I sprayed very lightly with a soft misting of water. Tim Holtz water spritzers from Ranger are good for this. The water misting softens the lines and gives it an old look.

Above-  See the Dusty Attic chips I used.  

Gesso is used to give the chips a base coat before painting etc.

I cut this out x4. Distress the edges with a distressing tool...yes all 4 of them. Take your time, it is worth it. You will see this later.

These are the magnolia dies I used. I find them a good die to use. Worth the extra cost.

Cut at least 7 of each, plus a few extra if you can...just to be safe.
You can always use the excess for another project.

I used another die not shown above but you can see them already finished below.
They where already white.Cut from card stock. I had them  in my precut stash, ready to go. Can you see the difference in color?, these did not get a coating of gesso. It adds interesting texture, color tones and layering to the LO. I used x10 of these.

The leaves below, are painted with Tim Holtz - crackle paint, from Ranger. Under is a close up of how it looks when dry. Leave it over night to dry, then it curls up all on it's own.

You can see how they are curling up. Notice, I left the small hearts unpainted.

Below, we get into some fun stuff...PUFFY PAINT. 

mixed some over spray from the glimmer mist or use it from the bottle.- spray a little on to a china plate or plastic sheet then add to the puffy, adding more color as needed. You can always add but can't take away..Mix together. Bring it on with a small paint brush or spatula. Wash plates and brushes after use, as it will dry hard.
My mother always said "A stitch in time saves nine"Dry with the heat gun and let it puff away. What fun....

The same is done with the Dusty Attic chips as above. After the puffing is done. I added more color where I wanted it. Once again with a small paint brush.

Yes..you are seeing it right!... you see how much mist I used getting the Glimmer Mist onto the title.. I just love those puddles. ( don't panic! I don't use this much every time I use Glimmer Mist.)Because of the gesso, the mist does not soak into the paper. 

Once again, don't panic!

This is what I am talking about when I talk about, over spray. The excess on the plastic around the title is my over spray this time.. Some scrappers wipe this away. I do not, I save it and use it.

Dry the title and reapply with a paint brush for detailed color. 

Try it, guaranteed you will become addicted.

Below, you can see, I use a lid from a large cardboard box. ( my spray catcher.) Place a plastic bag flat on the bottom of this  spray catcher, this stops the spray from socking into the cardboard.

3. reasons why.

1:- If the spray catcher is used often, it  gets a lot of color left on it.It drys and that is OK, but,the color will get  wet when spraying another time. The color lifts and mixes with the new color....not a good work plan. So the plastic protects your work. Your spray catcher stays clean and protected.

Visit your local scrap store to get your plastic bags, as they have the best plastic bags ever...... 

You get  to buy more product, then get a plastic protection bag for free....if you purchase enough product you probably will get two!.... That is a bargain!....

it's also called recycling.....saving the planet. 

Yes I also have humor!

 2:-You use the over spray caught on the plastic  to paint with your paint brush. I love to do this. If  the mist dries before you are finished, you just spray with water and away you go again. Depending on how much water you use, is to how strong your color will be. You can also mix the colors together to get a third color. And .... it saves on waste. You are using every thing.

3:- You can also run the straight edges of the back ground or matting for the photo's in this puddle of glimmer Mist This gives it a vintage look.
I did this with the edges of the title after the edges were distressed.

These swirls are also run through the puddles. Using a paint brush to bring color exactly were wanted.

Below you see  I  painted the stems and leaves with Olive vine mist to pop the crackle paint and to deepen the color. I have also highlighted the tips of these leaves with the mixed over spray color.

 

I misted and painted the dragonfly's from Dusty Attic. You see I have played with the color.

 

After distressing and misting the title, I made wholes for the sewing. I used the ruler only to get the line straight. I eye ball, but you could use a ruler if you want.

I use back stitch when hand stitching. I know it is not so flat, but I think it gives it a fuller look and shows up more.
If you want a flat look, use running stitch and go back over it to fill the gaps. Use Scotch tape or double side tape to fasten the lose threads at the back of your work.

Now that you have made all your flowers, leaves DA etc. You can start to puzzle and play.
( Sorry this photo was made before finishing the title. But you get the idea.)

Place everything how you want it. Then, when you are happy with the placements, take a photo with your phone or digital camera so you know where every thing is to be placed back when you remove it all for gluing.
The reason is, most scrappers can not remember exactly where every thing was. If the door bell rings or you get a phone call,... it's called, interrupted scrapping
rather safe than sorry.
I do not do this all the time....but that is a risk I take. I have been caught out though......start all over again....oh what fun..... I delete the photo when finished.

I use a Basic Grey magnet board when making a LO. I use it all the time, so much so, that I have two. It is a need, at least one.if you don't have one, you will see why below.

You use the magnets to a-line the placement. When the glue/tape is applied, place the photo as shown against the magnets. this brings the photo back exactly to the original position.

Here is the bigger picture.
Sorry about the color difference. It's the lighting. You can see how the magnets hold the LO in place. If you want to travel with a LO, that is not totally finished, this is a must have. Nothing moves out of place....although,If it gets close to the car door, it gets a bit hairy. Then, it's a "Oh, why did I do that!" So watch out.

Above, see the placement of the tittle. Below, see the dusty Attic swirl placement.

I glued the flowers down with tacky glue / PVA glue. The amount I use, is, about the size of a pea. This gives room to slide for placement in the right place. Because of the amount of glue used, when dry, it really stays in place. I then tuck the swirls and leaves under the flowers. Lifting the flowers if need be. I only use a small dot of glue on the stems of the leaves and ends of the swirls to do this. These steams and ends are not seen under the flowers. But you must be quick, as the glue does not take too long before drying. This lets the leaves and swirls be free so you can curl it them with your fingers, to where you want them to be.

Under, you can see that I painted the flower centers with the over spray colors.
Then finished with stickles in the flower center.

THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE FLOWERS ARE ON THE PREVIOUS POST.

The dragonfly's are finished with stickles. Applied from head to tail,then left to dry. Do this when the chips are glued in place, then you can use both hands to get a accurate application.

See how I placed the dragonfly's. They look like they are flying out of the tear in the paper.

 This is the finished product.
The glimmer Mist colors are chosen to match the flowers in the photo.

This is the first LO Work Shop I have posted, so any constructive feed back would be appreciated. There is always room for improvement and growth.

Also this has cost a lot of time and energy, so I would love to see or hear of any LO's or work inspired by this post. You can always leave a private message at scrapbook.com if you are connected there. I post under Susan Smit

as mentioned above,most products used can be found or ordered through
www.scrapdelight.nl

PRODUCT LIST:-

Glimmer Mist- Starfish / Creame de Rouge / Lemon Zest / Olive Green / Hula Hoop 

/ Forest  Green  / Sweet Clover

Stickles- Diamond / Gold

Tulp Puffy paint- White

Dusty Attic- Mini Dragonflies DA0518 / Foliage DA0506

Punches- Martha Steward / EK retro

Gesso- White

Die stances- Magnolia swirls and rose leaf / Creatables frame and swirls

Crackle Paint- Old paper

Paper- Basic Grey x6

Prima mask- item# 882105

Embossing folder- Sizzix

Thank you for taking the time to visit me and viewing  this post

.Until next time, Have lots of scrappy fun.

Scrappy hugs, Susan

GESSO FLOWER

1. 

Hi, this is the long awaited promised tutorial. I have been making this flower for a few years now,but I just started using gesso with it last year. I was using glimmer mist, and was not getting the color I wanted...so this was born. Gesso gives a coating so the mist does not sock into the paper and disappear. Gesso allows the true color to show. I hope you all have fun viewing this....mostly I hope this inspires you to make them. It takes about 15 min. to make a flower. I think it is worth the effort. Students that have made this in my WS's have found it a fair bit of work, until they started unfolding them,...then they experienced the WOW! factor that we all so love with the art of scrapping. What I love so much about this flower, is that you can match exactly the colors to the paper chosen for the LO. If you chose patterned paper,  the same as the LO you do not have to use gesso. You can always use a lot of flowers with out it being too over done, as the colors are all the same. When buying in,I always allow 2  sheets of patterned paper for the flowers for a LO. I always try to  make a few extra flowers in case I need more than originally planned. If you have to make extra for the same LO at a later time, they will look different.The colors will also be different if you color them on different days. Sorry that this is a bit long winded, but this is stuff you need to know....especially if you are going to put the time into making these flowers, you want them to look really great when you are done.....Remember...just have fun and don't be afraid to play with the colors.
That is what is so great with scrapping...there is no wrong or right way to do it...as long as you can live with it....it's your creativity.

So, here goes......

 The paper I used is the Basic Grey OBSCURE collection. An older line that did not take off so well.

The RETRO punch is used. But you can use any punch or die  you have. Only, you do need 2 sizes of what ever you have. If you are using a punch, it is easier to cut strips so you can punch one after the other with out fighting with all those extra bits getting stuck in the punch. (Shown above.) You will know what I am talking about if you have done this before.

 For the Larger flower you will need at least 8 of the large flower shapes and at least 3 smaller. You can add more if you want it to be tighter and fuller....I will warn you though...it is a lot more work and to begin with...don't make your life too hard. You want it to be fun, not hard work.
with a CROP-A-Dile, using the smaller size, make a whole for the brad in the center. If you stack all the same sized flowers together, you can punch the whole in the same place all at once. Then repeat with the other size.

On the bottom right you will see the flower with the brad in it. What is important, is that you stager the placement of the petals and make sure the brad is tight so the flowers can't move around.
For the LO. "DREAM"  (you will see this in my follow up post.) I made 5 flowers this size.

 For each of the smaller flowers, you need at least to punch out 8 of this size. 

If you make the above flower fuller you need to do the same for this one as well. If you don't it will look unbalanced when the LO is finished.Once all is punched out, repeat the same as above. I made 7 of this size for the LO.

 Above is a close up of how it will look as you are following the steps.
Spray the flower with water, using the mister. I find this mister from Ranger very good. It gives a fine mist and does not make the paper too wet. You will be misting every layer as you go, so it can get pretty wet. I always use a hand towel under to absorb any excess water.
I like to use water when making flowers. When the paper dries, the flower is hard and does not squash flat when put into the scrap books. They, then stay 3d.

Spray the flower, then fold the petals up, scrunching together as tight as you can. If you spray then wait a few seconds until the mist has softened the paper, this makes it easier to fold and scrunch. Repeat this with every layer until you have done them all....by this time you need to have a break, to rest the hands...hahaha
Scrunch the flower as tight as you can, put aside, then begin the next one.

In the photo, the top 2 flowers are the larger flower. The under flowers are the smaller size. The white flowers are when they are finished. 

On the right, this is how the flower should be looking before giving it that final tight scrunch. Mist with more water if you think it needs it, this will be to soften the paper to give it that last, finial tight scrunch.Remember though, the more water you use, the more drying time it needs. Put the flowers aside for them to almost dry, keeping an eye on them so they do not dry completely before unfolding them.

 Now you can open them out. The reason the flowers have to be damp, is you can help the shaping of  the petals a little when opening if needed.

Aren't these just so gorgeous!

 Now begins the real fun!
With a sponge dip into the gesso pot and start covering the flower. The paper is quite hard...so go for it. If you want to, use a paint brush to get into those small corners. I am warning you....use an apron and your hands will get covered...it's like finger painting! Wash your hands, paint brush and sponge as soon as you are finished.Gesso can be a pain in the butt to get off if it is dry.

 Here you can see the two different sizes. You can use a heat gun to dry them if you have not got the time to leave to dry on their own.....or if you just can not wait!

(You can leave these flowers at this stage if you want to follow the gesso LO Work Shop, which will be my next post. Then you can choose what color Glimmer Mist to use to match the photo.)

 When dry, start spraying. Start with a lighter color, then go darker. I, have used the paint brush on the tips and center. I have more control of the color using the paint brush.

 This is the finished product. I hope you have had fun. My next post will be of the LO. Till then have lots of scrappy moments and don't forget to leave a comment. If you have any problems let me know .....then I shall get back to you.

Thanks for visiting,have a scrappy day and see you next time.

Susan

IMAGINE

 This paper has been changed/altered...this paper started out as Basic Grey - OBCURE- Yes read it right! Not one of their best sellers. I use gesso a lot when scrapping...so why not on the back ground. We all have paper, when we drag it out or come across it when looking for something else, think....what on earth was I thinking that day when I purchased this!...what was in my head! We all have those moments...... our tastes change or we saved the left overs from a line....

Lets face it...some of us don't through any thing away...thats part of being a scrapper!

So this might make some of us not feel so guilty about it....look on...there is hope for us yet.

 Here I used the Tim Holtz movers and shapers to create the title. The paper edges are punched with one of the Martha Stewart deep edge punches. On the above photo you can see on the left hand side the pattern repeated. I made a mask out of a4 printing paper then used it with gesso to have a raised pattern on the back ground. Very faint, but there. The misting pops it.

 Hand made flowers. Layered with gesso then sprayed with glimmer mist.

 The leaf die is from Magnolia. Cut from the paper that was worked with gesso then painted with crackle paint from ranger-Old paper.

 These little heart and swirls are also from Magnolia. Finished the same as above. Only the hearts are painted with Glimmer Mist.

Bling swirls are from Prima. Here you can see I used the Prima masks to trace the pattern with a marker. I sprayed mist to give it a water color effect.

The Dusty Attic chips used are the Mini Butterfly's DA0364

First stamped, misted with Glimmer Mist then painted with glam

All the products used here can be found at www. scrap-delight .com

Except the paper of course...I am sure you also have some of this in your stash.

Good news......

My next post will be a Work shop on this LO. I have been working long hours on completeing the work shop. My skills do not go so far as making a film, so I have done it with photo's...belive me a lot of work! I now take my hat off to all those girls that do this all the time. I should be posting this at the end of the week. All going to plan of course.

I'd love to read your thoughts on it.

I hope you have enjoyed your journey through this post and I wish you all many, many happy scrappy moments and inspiring months to come.

Scrappy love, Susan 

oxoxox