Vicki Boutin

Mixing Glazes | Nathalie DeSousa

hi there!

Nathalie with you today with a fun new idea all about working withe glazes and texture paints.  I am always amazed at how versatile Vicki's collections are, and how easy is to combine pieces/materials from previous collections into current projects seamlessly.  So, today, i a going to share you how i used various glazes and texture mediums in this page:

I wanted a very watery look for the background of this page, so i set to create layers of mixed media to achieve this look.

 

I started by diluting texture paint (Blue Hawaiian and Blueberry pie) to create the column of watercolor. I added a bit of texture paste to the watercolor to soften the colors

Once it dried, i followed it by applying Prism glaze through the wave stencil.  I soften the application by stretching the glaze through the stencil with an stencil brush.

To finish the background, i lined up the stencil and added Glitter glaze to the application ( mostly at the center of the column).  OMG, this background is amazing.  Here is a close up:

I used a few of the Let's Wander collection to frame the pictures, then added them as layers behind the pictures.   I even trimmed the background and then frame the entire page with the Beach Wave paper.

 

To make the title pop, i painted the alphas with a bit of diluted Iridiscent glaze, and combined it with ephemera from the Let's Wander icons pack. 

I kept the rest of the embellishments minimal, so that the background will shine and pop along with the pictures.  The following video will show you how it all came together:

VIDEO

 

I hope this inspires you to pull out your glazes and texture paints to create a new project. Mix them, layered them, play with them, you will be surprised at what you can create with them!  

As always if you have questions ,do not hesitate to contact me!

Keep Safe!

 

 

Materials Used (Affiliate Links)

 

 

 

Fun with Patterned Paper

Hi there! It's Laura today sharing a layout I made inspired by all of the beautiful patterned paper in Vicki's Let's Wander collection.

One of my favorite go-to techniques is to play with circles. I pulled out my 3" circle punch and cut out semi circles from my favorite patterns in the collection. Then, I arranged them in lines on a piece of cardstock. 

Here's an important tip- there is a strip of pattern on the back of the SKU code and manufacturer information that is meant to be used! I trimmed some of those off and used one as a border at the bottom of my layout.

I keep some mixed media backgrounds that I have created from playing around in my stash and I grabbed one to use as a background tag for the photo for this layout.

I clustered some embellishments around the photo and then used the alphabet sticker set for the title. I also added some sequins on the tag for some sparkle.

Remember, it's totally OK to repeat designs that you love, I love working with half circles and I am not stopping anytime soon!

Hope you're healthy, safe and crafting as much as you can!

 

 

Pattern Paper play with Nicole

Hey there color fans! NIcole here today to share a fun project made with some of the FUN papers in the Let's Wander collection!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously, there are some FUN patterns in this collection and I am a big fan of this rainbow starburst pattern - I have been dying to use it for a few weeks now. I decided to trim it down slightly and add some machine stitching along some of the rows of the rainbow for a little texture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I fussy cut some stars from another great pattern in the Let's Wander collection and added them along the same colors in the rainbow starburst patterned paper. I chose to pop them up with foam adhesive to add some dimension and continuation of the pattern on the paper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn't resist adding a mixed media twist to my page and created my title by mixing some black Art Crayon with a little water and using the kissing technique on some foundations paper. Once it was completely dry, I diecut the background on my digital cutter two times and layered the two words together for my title.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I totally love the fun mixed media feel of the diecut word- it adds just the right artsy feel to the project, in a clean and contained manner.

I hope you are inspired to give this a try and share your project with us on Vicki's Facebook page!

Recreating Backgrounds with Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today to share a new project with you all.   I hope you all are staying safe in this unprecedented time.  Having an artistic outlet is the perfect way to bring some silver linings to your day.   Today, i am channeling my inner dark side to recreate a card background into a scrapbook layout.   Here is where practicing and creating small  catalogue of your ideas comes in handy.  I simply recreated the card background and updated it to this page:

The background for the page was inspired by this card (created in last week's post):

 

This background is so easy and quick to put together; the key here is to have all the materials ready beforehand, and some quick actions.

 

I started by adding  a bit of Metallic Gunmetal Acrylic paint to a foundation paper.   Right after the application, i used a stencil and stencil brush to lift and redeposit some of the paint on the page.  For this, i slightly wet the tip of my brush, and used a circular motion on top of the stencil to lift the color; then redeposit the leftover paint in the brush, but repeating the motion to the left of the paint application.

 

The last step in this background is to apply some stamping ( you can replace it with a stencil impression or textural impression).  I used the script stamp from Vicki's second collection to add the impression to the right of the paint application.

 

I used two pictures on this page, and backed them with papers from the Let's Wander collection, then added foam adhesive between the next layers of paper.   All the florals in the clusters were fussy cut from the Sunshine and Smiles paper.  A few stickers and embellishments from the sticker tablet, chipboard and cardstock sticker were also added to the clusters.

 

All that was left to do was add a title  using a large piece of ephemera and chipboard stickers, then added my lines of journal to the left of the title.  The following video will show you how it all came together:

VIDEO

 

 

I hope this has inspired you!  Keeping a small reference library of techniques makes it so easy to recreate them on a larger format in no time.   Remember you can always contact me with any questions.

 

Until next time, keep safe!

 

Materials used (images contain affiliate links)

 

Handcut Rainbows

Hello there! This is Laura here with exactly what we all need right now...a page made with the symbol of hope- rainbows!

To start, I grabbed my gelli plate and some of Vicki's fun paints and stencils. I created some screenprints using two colors at a time. I put them on random scraps of paper I had in my stash and just played around with no definitive plan for each piece.

Then, I hand cut each piece into semi circles. I just eyeballed it trying to vary the sizes since I knew I was going to overlap them.

Then, I played around with layering them until I found a few combinations I liked.

I played around with placement and ended up creating a full circle with two of the half circles on top of each other.

I left enough space for a title to go in-between the half circles using the alphabet set from Let's Wander.

For added texture I also machine stitched the half circles onto the paper and added some molding paste through the star stencil as a subtle background.

And, since I didn't use the third rainbow I made, I had enough leftover for a quick card!

I hope you're making time for creative play! 

 

Stencil Stamping with Nicole

Hey there mixed media fans! Nicole here to share one of my new favorite techniques - and I promise it is easy and addictive too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is so fun and easy to use stencils as a stamp! I used the new Texture Pastes that came out with the Let's Wander collection to create a thinner paint like texture and then combined that with the Let's Wander stencils to create a fun background on my page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see it adds just a little bit of pattern-colored goodness to the background of my page and has such a cool effect! Although I created this with the Texture Pastes, you could use other mediums with just as good of a result- think Watercolor Makers, Art Crayons or even thinned out glazes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best part ? Change up your stencil and change the look of your patterns - change the colors for different looks too! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can easily add in patterned paper to your mixed media backgrounds too - I used co-ordinating patterns from the Let's Wander collection very easily on my page here!

Wanna see how easy it is to stamp with stencils? Sit back and watch the process video here

I hope you are inspired to give this a try - this is definitely a technique I will be doing over and over!

 

Mixed Media Cards with Nathalie

 hi there!

Nathalie with you today with a few ideas on how to  use mixed media to create cards.   With the state of the world at this moment, most of us are enjoying the  comforts of our home.   I hope you are using a bit of your time to get creative and adding color to your corner of the world.  This week, i took a couple hours to create cards using Vicki's Mixed media products.  

 

 

i kept my cards very CAS, and decided to  work with almost all the things,  and just had fun building all of these:

I started with a 6x8 foundation paper, and created a card with it.  I masked the front of the card to frame the panel, and then added a bit of diluted art crayon to the page.   Once it dried, i used a bit of the metallic ink, a stencil and brush to add a bit of shimmering shadow to the watercolor.

 

All that was left to do was stamped the flower and leaf images then added a simple phrase sentiment and a few gems to complete the card.

 

Now let's look at a a watercolor card:

 

I chose to play with the floral embossing folder and powder pigments for the front card panel.

 

 

 

For my next card  I chose to work with the embossing folder and Prism Glaze.

 

I diluted a bit of the glaze and painted the circles with it before running it through the die cutting machine.  This was a perfect solution to bring color, dimension and texture to the card.

A large ephemera piece and a sticker sentiment complete this card.     The next card  is a great solution and idea for those who don't have embossing folders.

 

I used one of the new stencils and a piece of fun foam to emboss the cardstock with it.  Then added a bit of Rose Gold acrylic paint with a stencil brush to to the raised impression.

 

I trimmed the  embossed cardstock to fit a square card and used the extra piece to create the faux sleeve on the  card panel.  A few pieces of ephemera from the two latest collections complete the card.

 

I love the look of Texture paste on Kraft paper! so, i created the front to the card using one of the new stencils and texture paste on the front of the card.   The simple sentiment and embellishments keep the background as the focus of the card.

 

For my last card, i chose a simple but impactful idea for the focal point of the card.  I added a few brushstrokes of Gunmetal acrylic paint  to the front of the card.   Once the paint dried, i used the metallic inks to stamp the Script stamp on top of the paintstrokes.

 

I heat embossed the sentiment, and then added the large butterfly ephemera followed by a few sequins.  Totally love how this turned out.

Want to see a more in depth look on how i created these cards, the following video will show you how easily they came together:

VIDEO

 

 

I hope these inspire you to pull your VIcki goodies and use them to add some fun to your card making.  As always do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

 

Keep Safe!

 

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5 Tips for Scrapbooking

Hi, it's Laura today sharing 5 tips for scrapbooking. These might be basic or new to you, but either way I think it's always good to revisit concepts and think about how we are applying them in our creative work. So, let's dive in!

1. Follow the Lines

If you look at this photo, you will notice that in the background there are vertical stripes. I love this color burst paper from the Let's Wander patterned paper pack and I cropped it in such a way that it lined up with the vertical stripes, making it a seamless pattern of color blocks. I also embellished the paper within the blocks of colors to maintain the overall pattern.

2. Make sure your subjects are turned toward the page.

In this layout, the subject is facing the left. This is where layout matters, in terms of having the journaling/design portion to the left so that your eye leads you to it, rather than him on the left facing away from the page. It also then follows a visual triangle because the main points of interest are his face, the title speech bubble and the map on the bottom.

3. Fill the negative space!

Adding embellishments in the "negative" or "white" space of a photo can be very playful and bring photos to life. For this photo, taken against a color block wall, I added one small embellishment in the middle of each square, each in a black/white/gold color scheme to accent the bold red of the background.

Here's another example of designing in the white space. I often take photos with white space in mind.

4. Draw color inspiration from your photos.

I usually decide the color scheme of my layouts based on the photos I am working with. I pick some of the predominant colors and then go from there. In the case of this layout, I wanted it to be bright and bold and pull more from the blue light above their heads. I also made sure to have them facing towards the opposite page like I mentioned before.

5. Visual Triangle

You can never go wrong with a good visual triangle. In this layout you can see that I distributed the embellishments and photos such that the three clusters of embellishments are in a visual triangle. It's a classic go-to technique.

Happy crafting!

 

JUMP with Nicole Nowosad

Hi there Vicki Boutin fans! Nicole here to share a page created with some Watercolor markers, a cut file and the Let's Wander collection by Vicki Boutin!

 

I started the page with a piece of Foundations paper and three colors of Watercolor Markers. I started with the lightest shade - Cotton Candy and added a strip of color across the page, adding the next color Coral Macaroon and finishing off with Sugared Strawberry to create an ombre like pattern on the page. I decided to pop a diecut background over the pink design, from JustNick Studio.

Once the diecut background was in place, I added some photos with some layers of patterned paper behind them from Let's Wander and a whole bunch of fussy cut flowers from one of the pretty patterned papers in the Let's Wander collection.

I love the softness of the pink peeking through the diecut background and it serves as a great way to not overwhelm the background!

I just love these pretty florals in the Let's Wander collection and they are the perfect fussy cutting addition to your page. I love just tucking them beside my photos and then adding some diecut and stickers to fill in any open areas.

I just love how easy it is to use the watercolor markers and add pops of Mixed Media to your projects. A really great and simple way to create your own background or even color in the Let's Wander chipboard alphas like I did here with some blue marker.

I hope you are inspired to play with Mixed Media this weekend - please share your creations in Vicki 's Mixed Media community if you do!

 

Rainbow Explosion with Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today with a new layout that is all about rainbows and good times. It has hard to understand the times we are living at the moment.  I hope that you are all doing well, and keeping safe at home; if you are a essential worker, then my eternal gratitude is with you, please keep safe.   I am sure that family and being close to the ones we love is something we are all missing at this time.  I miss my littles (niece and nephew) so much that i decided to pull a few pictures from our March Break a few years back to create this page:

 

Who doesn't love a rainbow, and better yet a rainbow explosion...  Since i wanted the paper and stars to be the feature in the background, i used a few layers of simple mixed media on the background.

 

I started adding a bit of light blue and gray art crayon to the background.  I scribbled the colors onto a piece of acrylic, diluted the pigment and then used a brayer to stretch the liquid on a foundation paper. I just covered the area that is behind the pictures.  I let the application dry for a bit before, i added a second coat of art crayon, this time, i used a darker shade of blue - by following the same procedure as above-.

 

My next step (once the watercolor had dried) was to apply a bit of prism glaze to the background using one of Vicki's new stencils.  This time, i applied the glaze with a palette knife to the center of the watercolor background and then soften the edges by stretching the glaze through the stencil using a stencil brush.   I set this aside to dry and started working on creating my rainbow.

 

I cut strips of paper (1.25 to 1.5") from the Let's Wander collection paper, and added a strip of fuchsia paper from the 6x8 paper pad from Wildflower and Honey collection.  I distressed the edges of the papers, and glued them in a rainbow formation on the paper.  I made sure that the strips of paper were not taller than the pictures and only as wide as 6 inches.

 

 

I backed the pictures with papers from the Let's Wander collection and  then fussy cut a few of the stars from the specialty paper and placed them to the right of the picture.  I made sure to attach stars so that they followed the order of the papers on the left of the picture, and also placed them so that they look as the rainbow exploded into stars as it hit the pictures.  

 

 

i created a soft diagonal line of embellishments through the picture corners.  There are so much to choose from in the collection that just a few were enough to bring a mix of fun and sentiment to the page.  Then all i was left to do was create my title.  For this, i combined a sticker from the Sticker tablet with the gorgeous chipboard alpha from the collection.  I used a bit of Prism Glaze to detail the center of each letter.   A few lines of journal at the bottom of the page complete the layout, the following video will show  i created  thepage:

 

VIDEO

 

 

 

I hope this has inspired you to add a bit of rainbow to your days.  Vicki and her products hold a certain magic that way.  Remember to share with us what you are creating with the products.

This too shall pass, and we will be together -physically again-.

KEEP SAFE!

 

 

Materials used: